Trends in diabetes: Diabetes kills as many people as AIDS.

In 2012 diabetes caused as many deaths as HIV/AIDS (1.5 million). The study from NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) analyses the trends in diabetes prevalence since 1980. The data are derived from 751 population-based measurement studies involving nearly 4.4 million participants.

The study stresses the importance of a multi-level approach to support healthy behaviour, diets and lifestyle change and programmes to enable early detection and management of high-risk individuals to prevent diabetes or delaying its onset. For diabetes patients action is needed to improve access and adherence to medication.

The full article can be accessed here.

For a commentary on the study see this article written by Etienne G Krug for the Lancet.