Spain is the second country in Europe with a higher prevalence of diabetes, with 14.8 percent of the population between 20 and 79 years, according to data from the IDF Diabetes Atlas 2021 that will soon be updated.
In addition, it exceeds the average of the entire continent, which is 9.2 percent, as well as that of other territories such as South America, with 9.52 percent of prevalence, or the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia, with 11, 9 percent and 8.7 percent prevalence respectively.
The only country in Europe with worse data that Spain in terms of prevalence is Turkey, which is with a high 15.9 percent and approximately 9 million affected.According to this same statistic, there are more than 5 million people with diabetes.In addition, based on the figures available to the Spanish Diabetes Federation (Fede), 1.5 million of them do not know that they have such pathology.
Spain is only surpassed by Türkiye in these data.The only country that resembles Spain a lot is Portugal, which with a 13 percent prevalence and less than one million affected people also exceed the European average.
Italy, Greece (9.6 percent) and France, geographically close, are in the three cases below 10 percent.France even falls to 8.6 percent in the prevalence in people between 20 and 79 years.
They also contrast these data that are collected in the countries of northern Europe, specifically among the Nordics.Norway is with 4.8 percent, Sweden with 6.8 percent, Denmark with 7.3 percent and only Finland with 9.7 percent resembles the results of the south and western Europe.
The worldwide data is worrisome, especially in those areas where the prevalence level has increased.There are forecasts that in 2040 there will be, according to a study published in the scientific journal 'The Lancet', more than double people with type 1 diabetes than in 2021, which stood close to 8 million.
Africa is the area analyzed with the lowest prevalence percentage standing at 4.5 percent.Europe is close to 9.2 percent prevalence, while South America and Central America grow to 9.5 percent and North America and the Caribbean rise to 14 percent.
"This is due to very different life habits. The more developed the country, the more availability of processed foods, better means of transport, sedentary entertainment, etc., the greater the incidence of diabetes. Therefore, in a continent such as theAfrican, with less industrial and technological development, lower incidence, "said Mariana González, a diabetologist at the Navarra Health Company Health Training Lab.
Middle East and North Africa are located at 16.2 percent, but Southeast Asia countries remain at 8.7 percent prevalence, less than Spain (14.8 percent) or the United States (13,6 percent) among others.The Western Pacific (11.9 percent) is also found in similar terms with China (13 percent) remarkable against Australia (8.2 percent) or Japan (11.8 percent).
Spain has more than 5 million people with diabetes.Of that total, about 1.5 million ignores that they have the pathology.Andalusia is the autonomous community with more cases exceeding 800,000.Catalonia has more than 700,000, Madrid is with more than 600,000 and the Valencian Community is the fourth most affected region exceeding half a million.On the contrary, according to Fede data, La Rioja is the Autonomous Community with fewer cases when it does not reach 11,000.
Experts agree that both sedentary lifestyle and food and habits influence the growth of these data."Control glycemia, maintaining a healthy weight with good nutritional status and trainingPhysical through Guida physical activity, they are the main objectives for every person with diabetes that wishes to prevent complications, "González explained.
"There are more information and technology, but a lot of education about diabetes is missing," said the CEO, CEO of the EPP Sando Diabetes developer, Jorge García, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to develop specific physical and nutritional activity plansFor each person with diabetes.
