Vol 7, No 4 (2006): Practical Diabetology
Review article
Published online: 2006-07-12
Is there really an epidemic of type 2 diabetes?
Diabetologia Praktyczna 2006;7(4):248-257.
Abstract
In this paper doubts according to "epidemic" of type 2
diabetes were discussed. Although in contrast to
incidence of diabetes, prevalence of that disease
increases worldwide, it is caused mostly by increased
obesity, longer survival, lowering the diagnosis
criteria for diabetes, earlier age of diagnosis, demographic changes, increased diagnostic activity
leading to an increasing ratio of diagnosed:undiagnosed
diabetes, pre-diabetes prevention, improvement
of treatment, and decreased mortality.
In Poland about 5% of population (1 400 000 people),
suffer from known diabetes, although the metabolic
syndrome, disturbances of lipid metabolism, obesity,
arterial hypertension are seen more often and
because of that the name "diabetes epidemy" cause
doubts, it can be statistic artefact.
Keywords: diabetes epidemicprevalenceincidenceobesity