Diabetes is not detected in millions, according to the global study

Almost half of adults around the world who live with diabetes do not even know that they have, leaving millions vulnerable to dangerous complications.

A new radical study, published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, examined data from more than 200 countries between 2000 and 2023, following the way in which health systems identify, deal with and control the condition.

Researchers have analyzed the number of people with undiagnosed, untreated diabetes, receiving under-optimal care or obtaining optimal blood sugar control, broken down by age, sex, location and year.

Cut alcohol and medicine earlier could prevent the “silent killer”, say the experts

Researchers have found that around 44% of people aged 15 and over with diabetes remain unmatched.

“Many people would not have signs or symptoms as long as their diabetes is not very advanced, and many people do not go to the doctor often or at all for laboratory work,” Fox News Digital Tanya Freirich, a dietary nutritionist in North Carolina, to Fox News. (It was not involved in the study.)

Diabetes was called a “silent epidemic” because millions of people remain unconscious that they have the potentially fatal condition. (istock)

Most diagnosed patients, around 91%receive medication, but less than half manage to control their blood sugar. This means that around one in five people in the world effectively manage their illness.

Young people are the most likely to make themselves not diagnosed, despite serious long -term risks, such as heart disease, renal failure, blindness and nervous lesions, depending on the study.

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Geography plays a powerful role in diagnostic rates. In richer countries like the United States and Canada, diagnostic rates are higher, although challenges remain in the long-term management of the disease.

In low -income regions, in particular in certain parts of sub -Saharan Africa, less than one in five people with diabetes is aware that they have the condition.

1.3 billion people should live with diabetes by 2050, and experts say that drugs alone may not be enough. (istock)

The main author Lauryn Stafford, a researcher at the Institute of metrics and health assessments at the University of Washington, said that these figures should trigger alarms for governments and health systems worldwide.

“By 2050, 1.3 billion people should live with diabetes, and so almost half do not know that they have a serious and potentially deadly state of health, this could easily become a silent epidemic,” she said in a press release.

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The study also suggests that the treatment itself is often short. The prescriptions alone do not control blood sugar because researchers warn that health systems must also focus on monitoring, education and support for lifestyle.

For some people with prediabetes, early treatment and moderate lifestyle changes can return blood sugar levels (blood sugar) to a normal beach, effectively preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes, according to American Diabetes Association.

Previous research shows that changes in lifestyle and the Mediterranean diet could help prevent diabetes. (istock)

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It is difficult to be exact about the number of unmatched people, according to experts.

“These are data points that cannot be confirmed until diagnosis,” said Frich. “Although I do not doubt the precision of the tool (used in the study), there can be unknown factors that are not included in the model.”

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The dietitian recommends that everyone has a semi-regular health assessment.

She also noted that the increase in fiber intake with whole, unprocessed foods such as vegetables and nuts – as well as remaining constantly active – can reduce the risk of diabetes and help regulate blood sugar.