A new study says the number of people who have diabetes globally may be severely underreported.
According to the findings, more than 800 million adults worldwide have the condition. This is nearly twice the number of people previously thought to be diabetic. The authors of the study also say that over half of individuals with the condition who are over 30 are not receiving treatment.
Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported that nearly 1 in 6 American adults now have diabetes.
Almost 13% of American women have the condition compared to 18% of men. Texas, in particular, has some of the highest rates of diabetes-related amputations in the county, with one medical professional labeling San Antonio as “the diabetic foot capital of the world.”
The latest finding, published in The Lancet, says that diabetes worldwide has doubled since 1990, from roughly 7% to 14%. The authors say the uptick is likely driven by the condition’s proliferation in low—and middle-income countries.
Around 828 million people aged 18 and up suffered from type 1 and type 2 diabetes around the world in 2022, according to the study. Over half of those with diabetes are aged 30 and up, and nearly 6 out of 10 individuals in that demographic were not receiving treatment.
Before this study, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that around 422 million people worldwide have the condition, a significantly lower figure than the latest study suggests.
“We have seen an alarming rise in diabetes over the past three decades, which reflects the increase in obesity, compounded by the impacts of the marketing of unhealthy food, a lack of physical activity and economic hardship,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a November 13 statement. “To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must urgently take action.”
The study did not distinguish between the number of type 1 and type 2 diabetics, but previous data suggests that most adults with the condition suffer from type 2.
Type 2 diabetes is commonly associated with poor diet and obesity. Excess fat increase can drive insulin resistance, leading to metabolic dysfunction. Left untreated, unprocessed sugar in the blood can begin to accumulate and lead to health problems like heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.