Diabetes in Society

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked, largely mountainous country, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and is therefore sometimes referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Central Asia’. But the dramatic beauty of its snow-capped mountains and Alpine gorges hides a terrible potential for destruction: heavy winter snow often leads to spring floods, provoking serious damage in valleys and lowlands.

Diabetes is now the world’s fourth leading cause of death by illness, and the global epidemic shows no signs of abating. In recent decades, a revolution in science has contributed to a greater understanding of diabetes and the development of new cutting-edge therapies. However, diabetes prevalence, and diabetes-related death and disability have continued to grow rapidly.

A culturally sensitive, intensive diabetes education service is being delivered in the community to people of ethnic-minority origin living with type 2 diabetes in Lothian, Scotland. Designed by a pharmacist, the initiative began as a research project, but the effectiveness and popularity of the programme resulted in its development and implementation as part of the local diabetes care package.

Type 2 diabetes has become the most common metabolic disorder. Its prevalence is growing most rapidly among people in the developing world, primarily due to the rapid demographic and epidemiological changes in these regions. According to IDF, India currently leads the world with an estimated 41 million people with diabetes; this figure is predicted to increase to 66 million by 2025. The diabetes epidemic is more pronounced in urban areas in India, where rates of diabetes are roughly double those in rural areas.

Despite the wealth of evidence to support the health benefits of physical activity in people with diabetes, many people, when diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, decide to refrain from taking part in sports, and some are even advised to do so by their healthcare provider. When Olympic volleyball player, Bas van de Goor, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, his lack of diabetes knowledge led him to believe he should retire from organized sport.

A conversation with a 70-year-old woman with diabetes gave an endocrinologist working in Belgrade, Serbia, an interesting idea. The patient expressed her desire to go on holiday but was clearly worried about managing her diabetes away from home – without access to familiar healthcare resources. Teodora Beljic recognized the need for some form of holiday facility for older people with diabetes, and decided to explore the feasibility of recreational and educational programmes.

Diabetes is a family affair. When a child is diagnosed with diabetes, a wide range of challenges affects parents and siblings. While the role of parents in day-to-day living with diabetes is subject to constant change according to the age of their child, it is always crucial. Families constantly experience their loved-one’s diabetes, in an emotional as well as a practical sense. Eveline van Gulik explores some of the challenges faced by parents of children with diabetes, and describes, from her own experience, the enormous impact on family life.