Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease affecting more than 6 % of the world’s population. Current estimates suggest that there are approximately 135 million cases worldwide. This number is expected to increase to over 230 million by 2010 and 300 million by 2025. Because of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared diabetes a global epidemic. Diabetes currently accounts for 5-10% of the healthcare budget in most countries. In the US, this proportion has risen to one sixth of the healthcare budget. Estimates of the direct cost of diabetes to the healthcare sector are escalating around the world. This disease is a major cause of premature mortality and is the most frequent cause of blindness, amputation and end-stage renal failure in the US.

The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) demonstrated that long term monitoring and tight control of blood glucose concentrations can significantly reduce diabetic complications. Measurement of blood sugar, glycated serum proteins and glycated hemoglobin are the most common diagnostic tests for the confirmation and monitoring of diabetes.

There are two types of diabetes. The first and more serious form is Type 1 or “juvenile diabetes”. This form requires very close monitoring of blood sugar and accounts for approximately 5 % of all persons suffering from diabetes. The balance of those afflicted suffer from Type 2 or “late-onset diabetes”. This form can often be controlled by dietary intake but if left untreated can progress to a more serious and chronic state.

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