Önal AE, Ören MM, Aslaner C, Duman A; Istanbul, Turkey
Background and aims: Our aims are to know epidemiology and prevention of Diabetes because it is a global public health problem being one of the 5 major causes of death, seen in almost all age groups, progressing with acute and chronic complications.
Materials and methods: The epidemiology of diabetes in the world and Turkey were compared by using selected data of WHO, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Turkey Ministry of Health. The studies in Turkey about diabetes that are parallel to WHO’s action plan on the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were summarized.
Results: According to IDF data in 2014, 1/12 of the world population has diabetes and one of the two people who have diabetes does not know that they have diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes all over the world in the adult population aged 20 – 79 years is 8,3 %. 80 % of the diabetes patients live in low- and middle-income countries.The prevalence of diabetes has been shown to increase steadily in the recent years. Type 2 diabetes prevalence in Turkey and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) have been found in 7,2 % and 6,7 % respectively in the Turkey Diabetes Epidemiology Study (TURDEP I) (1997 – 1998). According to TURDEP-II study (2010), the prevalence of diabetes and IGT in Turkish people reached 13,7 % and 7,9 %, respectively. Diabetes prevalence in population aged 20 – 79 is estimated to be 14,7 % in Turkey according to IDF 2014 data. Chronic diseases have been questioned in 2015 in the survey carried out by Research and Practice Center of Istanbul University, in Silivri district to determine the relationship between environmental problems and health problems. Study consists of 221 participants with an average age of 45.8 ± 15.7, the proportion of adults with diagnosed diabetes was found to be 4.9 % according to participants’ statement (Onal et al., unpublished data). Similarly, a study carried out by Public Health Department of Istanbul Medical Faculty on 400 women aged 15 – 49 admitted to a gynecological outpatient clinic in 2013 in Istanbul found that 20+ years old diagnosed with diabetes are 4.8 % (Oren et al., unpublished data). There are two action plans being implemented by the Ministry of Health of Turkey to struggle with diabetes; Turkey Healthy Eating and Active Life Program (2014 – 2017) and Turkey Diabetes Program (2015 – 2020). The Turkey Diabetes Program aims to develop and implement policy for effective diabetes management, to provide early diagnosis, prevention and effective treatment of diabetes and its complications. The program also aims to prevent childhood diabetes and obesity.
Conclusions: Main causes of the increase of diabetes are the obesity, tobacco, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption. All these harmful habits are the results of population aging and lifestyle change that urbanization brought. It is only possible to reduce the diabetes and cardiovascular disease rate by regular physical activity and fighting with obesity.
Erschienen in: Diabetes, Stoffwechsel und Herz, 2015; 25 (6) Seite 429-430