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On World Diabetes Day, Nov. 14, experts call for stepped-up prevention, better patient care
Washington, D.C., November 14, 2012 (PAHO/WHO)
— Diabetes has become a leading cause of death and disability in the
Region of the Americas, and if current trends continue, the burden of
the disease will increase substantially over the next two decades,
according to experts at the Pan American Health Organization/World
Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
On
November 14, PAHO/WHO will celebrate World Diabetes Day to raise
awareness of the impact of diabetes and encourage improvements in
prevention and care for the disease.
“Diabetes
has reached epidemic proportions in the Americas,” said Dr. James
Hospedales, PAHO/WHO senior advisor on chronic diseases. “Latin America
and especially the Caribbean now have among the highest diabetes rates
in the world, and if we don’t take action now—especially to slow rising
rates of obesity—the trend will only get worse.”
PAHO/WHO
estimates that some 62.8 million people in the Americas suffer from
diabetes (2011 data). If current trends continue, this number is
expected to increase to 91.1 million by 2030. In Latin America, the
number of people with diabetes is projected to increase from 25 million
to 40 million by 2030, and in North America and the English-speaking
Caribbean, the number will increase from 38 million to 51 million during
the same period, according to PAHO/WHO estimates.
Worldwide,
WHO estimates that more than 346 million people have diabetes, with the
number expected to more than double by 2030 if current trends continue.
Diabetes
is strongly linked to overweight and obesity, which are also on the
upswing in the Americas and worldwide. Survey data from countries in the
Americas show that rates of obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 30) in adults
range from 15% in Canada to 30% or more in Belize, Mexico, and the
United States.
Surveys
also show that obesity and overweight are increasing in all age groups:
7% to 12% of children under 5 and one in five adolescents in the
Americas are obese, and among adults, rates of overweight and obesity
approach 60%.
If
left uncontrolled, diabetes can cause damage to the eyes (potentially
leading to blindness), kidneys (leading to renal failure), and nerves
(leading to impotence and foot disorders, many requiring amputation).
Diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and
insufficient blood flow to legs. Studies have shown that good metabolic
control prevents or delays such complications. Good foot care, regular
eye exams, and control of blood pressure are also essential, especially
to prevent amputations and blindness.
Diabetes
poses a major and growing challenge for health systems, experts say.
People with diabetes need comprehensive, coordinated, and evidence-based
care that promotes a central role for patients and their families.
“Patient
education and involvement is absolutely key to promote better
self-management of diabetes,” says Hospedales. “This includes
self-monitoring of blood glucose levels and being alert to the signs of
possible complications.”
Equally important is prevention. To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should:
- Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Be physically active, with at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most days and more for weight control.
- Eat
a healthy diet, including three to five servings of fruit and
vegetables per day and reduced intake of sugar and saturated fats.
- Avoid tobacco use, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Drink less alcohol.
This
year’s World Diabetes Day—whose slogan is “Diabetes: protect our
future” — is part of a five-year campaign led by the International
Diabetes Federation to promote diabetes education and prevention. This
year’s campaign targets children and young people with education and
prevention messages to encourage early awareness of the risks and
dangers of diabetes and the importance of healthy eating and physical
activity to prevent type 2 diabetes.
World
Diabetes Day 2012 campaign materials include posters featuring the
warning signs of diabetes (frequent urination, weight loss, lack of
energy, and excessive thirst), risk factors (family history, lack of
exercise, unhealthy diets, and excess body weight), and physical
activities that can help prevent the disease (brisk walking, dancing,
swimming, and cycling). The prevention poster notes that 30 minutes of
exercise per day can reduce a person’s risk of developing type 2
diabetes by 40%.
For more information on diabetes and its prevention, visit the links below.
Facts on diabetes in the Americas
- In
the Americas, diabetes prevalence in adults is highest in the countries
of the English-speaking Caribbean, followed by populations living on
both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
- The
highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes is found among the Pima Indians
of Arizona, among whom almost all adults develop diabetes.
- In
Mexico and in the majority of the countries of Central and South
America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, diabetes prevalence has been
reported between 8% and 10%.
- The lowest reported prevalence of diabetes in the Americas was in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (6.1%).
- In
North America, African- and Mexican-Americans show greater risk for
diabetes than Caucasian Americans, due to both heredity and
environmental factors, such as poor nutrition and lack of exercise.
- Survey
data show that the percentage of people with diabetes whose blood sugar
is not controlled is as high as 66% in Chile (2009), 70% in Veracruz,
Mexico (2005), 63% on the Mexican side of the U.S. border and 58% among
Latinos on the U.S. side (2001-2002), and 54% in Costa Rica (2010).
PAHO,
which celebrates its 110th anniversary this year, is the oldest
international public health organization in the world. It works with its
member countries to improve the health and the quality of life of the
people of the Americas. It also serves as the Regional Office for the
Americas of WHO.
LINKS:
PAHO info for World Diabetes Day
WHO info for World Diabetes Day
IDF info for World Diabetes Day
http://new.paho.org/paho110/
http://www.paho.org
http://www.facebook.com/PAHOWHO
http://www.youtube.com/pahopin
http://twitter.com/pahoeoc
http://twitter.com/pahowho
http://twitter.com/opsoms
Media Contacts:
Leticia
Linn,
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, Tel. + 202 974 3440, Mobile +1 202 701 4005,
Donna Eberwine-Villagran,
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, Tel. +1 202 974 3122,
Mobile +1 202 316 5469, Sebastián Oliel,
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, Phone +1 202
974 43459, Sonia Mey-Schmidt,
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, Tel. + 1 202 974 3036,
Mobile +1 202 251 2646, Knowledge Management and Communications,
PAHO/WHO–www.paho.org
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