Diabetes affects about 6 million people in Spain and is responsible for 25,000 deaths each year, in addition to being behind 7 out of 10 non -traumatic amputations of the lower extremities and being responsible for 16 % of blindness cases.
As explained by the Spanish Federation of Diabetes on the occasion of the World Day of this disease that is celebrated this Monday, diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism of the process that converts food into energy and insulin is the most important factor in this process.During digestion, food breaks down to create glucose, which is the largest fuel source for the body and it passes into the blood, where insulin allows you to enter the cells.
When the body does not produce insulin, it is type 1 and those who suffer from it, especially children and young people, they must inject it to be able to live.While the cases in which the body does produce this substance, but not in sufficient quantities or cannot take advantage of it properly, are called type 2.
the figures
These are some of the most important figures in diabetes, a disease that involves one of the main cardiovascular risk factors:
- There are 415 million people with diabetes worldwide and the International Diabetes Federation warns that in 2040 one in 10 adults will suffer from the disease, which will mean 642 million people.
- In Spain, most patients (90 %) suffer from type 2 diabetes, which usually appear after 40 years and can be avoided or delayed with a balanced diet, physical exercise, and a healthy life without tobacco andA moderate alcohol consumption.
- Type 1 represents 13 % of cases of diabetes in Spain.It affects 10,000 children under 15 and 1,200 new cases are counted each year.
- More than 2 million Spaniards do not know that they suffer from the disease.
- Only 59 % of type 2 diabetes patients are adherent to recommended treatment.
- Obesity is the cause of more than 40 % of cases.
- The direct annual cost - treatment and hospitalizations - per patient for the National Health System amounts to 1,708 euros and in total 5,447 million, while the indirect - labor absence, early retirements and social expenses - adds 17,630 million euros.
- The bad care of the pathology can have consequences for patients.In fact, 70 % of non -traumatic amputations of the lower limb are due to this disease, which makes it the most frequent cause of this type of interventions.
- It can also cause blindness, thus 16 % of blind people are for this cause and half of them had never gone to the ophthalmologist, despite the fact that diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common complications of this chronic disease.