This cycle ends with chronic hyperglycemia of blood

The World Diabetes Congress always start with a cry of alarm launched top and strong by experts. The rule has not escaped the Summit just held in Montreal. "Almost 6.6 of the world's population is concerned and the prevalence will double by 2030," said Martin Silink, President of the International Federation of diabetes (IDF). The publication of the Atlas 2009 disease confirmed the magnitude of this silent epidemic, which progresses in all countries, most often in indifference. The World Diabetes Day, which takes place tomorrow, aims to raise awareness of the populations and Governments on a simple theme that applies to most metabolism disorders: "Can prevent the disease through education and prevention."

In some countries where globalization completely turned the ways of life in a generation, the type 2 diabetes has become a major health problem. It is Nauru, a small island in Oceania, which holds the record for the time: one-third of the population is reached. The situation is just as serious in United Arab Emirates (prevalence of 18.7), Saudi Arabia (16.8), in Mauritius (16.2) or at the meeting (15.3). China and the India recorded a meteoric rise and diabetes is now progressing at the same rate as economic growth.

The economic and the pathological

All these countries have moved in over 30 years of a restrictive diet to abundant food where sugary drinks, fats, and snack are on the menu of every day. All these former Bedouins, fishermen and walkers have become additional passive viewers and regular drivers. The majority of these "victims of modernity" is located in the less educated segments of the population. "Type 2 diabetes, which is by far the most common form, affects primarily the poor", confirms John Chalmers, this disease specialist at the University of Sydney. France, 23 of the 2.5 million treated patients were born abroad and 54 are financially well-off, according to a recent study (Entred).

All experts agree on one point: overfeeding and inactivity are doing of type 2 diabetes. "In the majority of cases, it could prevent the arrival of the disease by behavioral health measures," adds John Chalmers. "About 40 are obese patients with type 2 diabetes and 80 are overweight," confirms Krisja Vermeylen, Executive Director for the Danish pharmaceutical group Novo Nordisk France. This correlation between the economic and the pathological confirms the status of "disease of civilization", often next to diabetes.

In fact, it is an infernal ménage à trois which harm check everywhere in the world. Rising purchasing power induced almost inevitably a diet rich that triggers the overweight and obesity. Within a few years, the accumulation of these imbalances, combined with lack of exercise leads to a defect in the production of insulin in the body. This cycle ends with chronic hyperglycemia of blood.

Impact on health systems

According to data of the IDF, the number of diabetics in the world should move from 284 million in 2010 to 438 million in 2030. Result, the impact of this scourge on the health systems will become significant. "States have not yet measure financing needs related to the disease", indicated to Montreal Martin Silink. The world economic forum has also sounded the alert at the beginning of the year. This Assembly of sages so registered chronic non-communicable diseases (including diabetes part), table of the "most threatening perils for the global e economic."

In France, the prevalence of the disease increased by 38 over the past seven years. It is now of 3.95 of the population and 2.5 million patients are treated (including 600,000 by insulin). "Almost 95 of them have type 2 diabetes and their average age is about 65 years," said Hélène Mosnier-Pudar, Ottawa at hôpital Cochin, Paris. "By 2020, the number of patients expected to reach 5 million", says Krisja Vermeylen.

The cost of this disease now represents 10 of the country's health. "The three main causes of the increase of expenditure are the increase of the prevalence, cost and serious cardiovascular complications, as well as Terminal renal failure," said Professor Serge Halimi, President of the French society of diabetes in the latest epidemiological bulletin published by the Institute for sanitary watch. "More than half of dialysis are diabetics," recalls John Chalmers. Moreover, a preliminary study presented in Montreal by a team from the University of Oregon has also confirmed that diabetics had an additional risk of developing cancer. According to Professor Matthew Riddle, who led this investigation, "some secreted chemical mediators spoke adipose tissue seem to favour the appearance of cancer cells.