Number of world’s diabetes patients to more than double by 2050, study says

The number of people with diabetes worldwide will more than double to 1.3 billion by 2050, driven by structural racism and huge inequalities between countries, a new study said Friday.

According to the most comprehensive analysis of global data forecast until 2050, the number of patients with this chronic disease will increase in every country of the world.

According to estimates, about 529 million people already have diabetes, which is one of the ten leading causes of death and disability. In less than three decades, that number, 95 percent of whom have type 2 diabetes, will reach 1.3 billion people, according to a study published in the Lancet journal.

A high body mass index, an indicator of being overweight, is associated with diabetes-related deaths and disability. Other factors were related to diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol.

The study adds that in 2045, three-quarters of adults with diabetes will be in low- and middle-income countries.

But even in rich countries like the United States, diabetes rates are nearly 1.5 times higher among minorities, such as blacks, Hispanics, Asians, or Native Americans, the study found.

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