A study published this week indicates that 44% of people worldwide with diabetes have not been diagnosed. The study, by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine, appeared in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
The study found that young adults are most at risk of having undiagnosed diabetes.
Among those diagnosed with the disease, 91% are taking pharmacological treatment. But only 42% of them have optimal blood sugar levels. The study suggests that just 21% of people with diabetes worldwide are properly managing their condition.
With diabetes cases rising globally, the authors warn the disease is becoming a growing health crisis.
“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,” said Lauryn Stafford, first author and researcher at IHME.
The study found people in the United States and other developed nations were more likely to have their diabetes diagnosed.
Stafford said getting diagnosed as soon as possible can help reduce the harmful health impacts of the disease.
"Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels," she said. "The diabetes care cascade is a comprehensive assessment of the activities of diagnosis, treatment, and glycaemic management among a population of people living with diabetes."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 15.8% of U.S. adults have diabetes. Of those, more than one in four have not been diagnosed, the CDC says.
