Diabetes: A Burden on Society

By Victoria Tarrant

April 26, 2013

HSC4624 Global Health

What is Diabetes? Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a

metabolic disease.

It is one of the most common non-communicable diseases globally.

The person will have high blood glucose, either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both (Nordqvist, 2013).

There are two types:

Type 1 – insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes, or early-onset diabetes

Type 2 – insulin resistant diabetes

Diabetes continued Type 1 insulin-dependent

Not as common as type 2

Only 10% of all cases are type 1

Often develop in early adulthood or teenage years

78,000 children develop type 1 diabetes every year ("The global burden," 2013)

Take insulin injections for rest of life

Diabetes continued Type 2 insulin-resistant

About 90% of all cases worldwide

Can be controlled by:

Losing weight

Following healthy diet

Plenty of exercise

Monitoring blood glucose levels

However, typically is a progressive disease

People of Middle Eastern, African, or South Asian descent with a close relative who have/had type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of it developing (Nordqvist, 2013).

Worldwide In 2012>371 million people had diabetes

4.8 million people died due to diabetes

>471 billion U.S. dollars were spent on healthcare for diabetes

Statistics gathered from International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas 2012

http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/Update2012

Worldwide In 2012

Picture retrieved from International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas 2012http://www.idf.org/sites/default/files/5E_IDFAtlasPoster_2012_EN.pdf

Diabetes and Poverty Both of these go hand in hand – each can cause the

other

Diabetes is becoming more and more common among the poor and marginalized

Cost of treatment and/or loss of employment and income push families to poverty

A large portion of family income is spent on healthcare for family members

Diabetes and Poverty continued The poorest countries have the greatest

sedentariness and obesity (Levine, 2011).

Violence follows poverty, preventing people from being active outdoors

Some people living in poverty-dense regions are not able to afford a gym membership, sports clothing, or exercise equipment

Parks and sports facilities are less available to people living in poor counties

Diabetes and Poverty continued Millions of people with diabetes face stigma and

discrimination.

Creates barriers to services, employment, and even marriage

Greater impact on children, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, women and the poor.

Poverty and Obesity People who live in the most poverty-dense countries

are those most prone to obesity (Fig. A)

Variance in obesity can be accounted for by variance in sedentariness (Fig. B).

The poorest countries have the greatest sedentariness (Fig. C)

Countries with greatest rates of poverty have greatest diabetes rates too (Fig. D).

Poverty and Obesity continued

Picture retrieved from American Diabetes Association 2011http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/60/11/2667.full

Diabetes and Education Children with diabetes can have less access to education.

Children with Type 1 diabetes are sometimes denied entry to school.

Diabetes and education are linked

The higher education, the lower the risk

Diabetes limits education

Cost

Diabetes and Development All nations, rich and poor, are suffering the impact of

the diabetes epidemic

Diabetes particularly affects those who are socially and economically disadvantaged

4 out of 5 people with diabetes live in countries classified by the World Bank as low- and middle-income countries (“Diabetes and development,” 2013)

Diabetes increases the risk of developing tuberculosis

Diabetes threatens achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

Diabetes is an important cause of

cardiovascular disease

Diabetes increases the risk of

tuberculosis (TB)

Diabetes shares

common risks and solutions with climate

change

Diabetes can cause or

exacerbate mental health

problems.

Picture retrieved from International Diabetes Federation The Millennium Development Goalshttp://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/diabetes-and-the-millennium-development-goals

References Colagiuri, R., Brown, J., & Dain, K. (2010, November). In Steve

Jones (Chair). A call to action on diabetes. Idf expert meeting. Retrieved from http://www.idf.org/webdata/Call- to-Action-on-Diabetes.pdf

Diabetes and development. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/diabetes-and-development

IDF diabetes atlas update 2012. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/Update2012

References Levine, J. A. (2011, November). Poverty and obesity in the U.S.

Retrieved from http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/ content/60/11/2667.full

Nordqvist, C. (2013, April 12). All about diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/

The global burden. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/the-global-burden