Changing Trends in Epidemiology of Diabetes

A diabetes epidemic is sweeping across India. According to latest estimates by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India leads the world in the number of diabetic subjects in India is around 41 million in 2006 and this is set to rise to 70 million by the year 2025. Estimates by the World Health Organisation also suggest that the number of diabetic subjects would increase to 80 million by the year 2030 (Figure 1). Several studies have looked at the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in India since the turn of this century. Although these studies differ in terms of diagnostic criteria, methods and study populations, they give us a fair idea about the rising trend in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in India. This article will try to give a brief overview of some of the published studies from India.