Globally, Diabetes Underdiagnosed, Poorly Controlled With Treatment

MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- In 2023, 55.8 percent of those with diabetes were diagnosed, and 41.6 percent had optimal glycemic concentrations on treatment, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.Lauryn K. Stafford, from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study to assess the state of the diabetes cascade of care globally. The proportions of people with diabetes who are undiagnosed, diagnosed but untreated, receiving treatment with suboptimal glycemic concentrations, and receiving treatment with optimal glycemic concentrations were estimated.The researchers found that an estimated 55.8 percent of people with diabetes aged 15 years and older were diagnosed with diabetes globally in 2023. Overall, 91.4 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes were on treatment; the proportion of people on diabetes treatment with optimal glycemic concentrations was 41.6 percent. Among all people with diabetes, 21.2 percent had optimal glycemic concentrations on treatment. There were substantial regional differences observed: The highest rates of diagnosis were seen in high-income North America, while the highest rates of optimal glycemic control on treatment were seen in Southern Latin America. Globally, the proportion of people diagnosed with diabetes increased by 8.3 percent between 2000 and 2023; the proportion receiving treatment and with optimal glycemic concentrations on treatment increased by 7.2 and 1.3 percent, respectively."By 2050, 1.3 billion people are expected to be living with diabetes, and if nearly half don't know they have a serious and potentially deadly health condition, it could easily become a silent epidemic," Stafford said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)Editorial (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Globally, Diabetes Underdiagnosed, Poorly Controlled With Treatment

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