The number of people living with diabetes has tripled since 2000, leading to enormous financial ramifications: the global cost of the disease is $850 billion each year. The latest estimates from the International Diabetes Federation indicate that one in 11 adults worldwide have diabetes; most have type 2 diabetes, which is strongly linked to obesity and lack of exercise. There is a strong link between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as people with diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and lower life expectancy.
According to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions last week, data indicates that children and young adults with diabetes mellitus have a fivefold increased risk of all-cause mortality, and a sevenfold increased risk of sudden cardiac death, compared with age-matched individuals without diabetes. The findings highlight the critical need for continuous cardiovascular risk monitoring and management in young people with DM.
Less than half of those diagnosed with diabetes are aware that the diseases places them at a much higher risk for cardiovascular disease complications; the lack of awareness prevents addressing risks and improving health–often leading to preventable deaths. Ken Thorpe, Chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, urges education and the power of prevention. “We must do better to diagnose, treat, and prevent chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and one of the first and most important actions we can take is to raise awareness among patients, providers, and policymakers of the alarming co-existence of these two debilitating conditions, and what can be done to avoid them in the first place.”
The total number of diabetes worldwide is now 451 million, and is expected to reach 693 million by 2045 if current trends continue.
