The diabetes is a major public health challenge, due to its frequency, the seriousness of its complications and the high costs that it incurs.

Worldwide:
• In 2010, 285 million people with diabetes
• In 2019, 463 million adults (20-79 years) are diabetic and
374 million people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• 232 million diabetics are undiagnosed
• Cost of diabetes in 2017 : 227 billion dollars.

Expectations:
• 629 million cases expected in 2045 and 532 million people at risk
• 4th cause of mortality in the world with 5,1 million deaths
(1 death every 7 seconds)

In Europe:
• In 2019, 59 million adults are diabetic including more than 4 million in France.

 

Serious or even fatal complications:

• Retinopathy / Blindness: diabetes is one of the most common causes of blindness.
• Cardiovascular disease: diabetes, associated with other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking, is a main cause of myocardial infarctions and stokes.
• Kidney failure: diabetes is, today, the leading cause of end-stage kidney failure requiring dialysis.
• Damage to the nervous system: diabetic neuropathy affects all of the nerves in the body but most often manifests in the lower limbs, and can lead to pain, tingling or loss of feeling of the extremities which triggers feet sores, which can be very serious. Diabetes is responsible for 8000 amputations each year.
• Infections: diabetes triggers cutaneous, urinary or pulmonary infections. Also, vaccination against influenza and pneumococcus should be carried out more systematically.