An estimated 230 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide (International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes Atlas 2nd edition. Unite for Diabetes Campaign Media Kit. Available at http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/assets/files/About_diabetes.pdf), a figure the World Health Organisation expects to rise to 366 million by 2030 (World Health Organization. Country and Regional Data. 2005. Available at: http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/world_figures/en/).
In Ireland it is estimated that there are between 140,000 – 200,000 people with diabetes, and a further 100,000-200,000 have diabetes but are unaware that they have the condition (Making Diabetes Count. First Report of the Irish Diabetes Prevalence Working Group, Ireland and Northern Ireland’s Population Health Observatory (INIsPHO), Institute of Public Health in Ireland. April 2006 and Diabetes Federation of Ireland. Available at http://www.diabetesireland.ie/view.asp?ID=908).
There are two main types of diabetes – Type 1 diabetes which generally occurs at a younger age (<35 years) and in which a person produces no insulin and must administer insulin regularly to regulate glucose levels and to remain healthy. Type 2 diabetes is caused by both a shortage of insulin (insulin deficiency) and a fault in the way the body uses the insulin it produces (insulin resistance). It is the more common form, generally seen in people over the age of forty, and is progressive. Its causes are varied but may include obesity, increasing age, and sedentary lifestyle. An individual’s ethnicity may also predispose them to diabetes.
Acute symptoms in both types are similar and include: frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision.
For people with type 1 and many people with type 2 diabetes, administering insulin is the cornerstone for treating the condition. Insulin was discovered in 1921 and so offers a valuable choice to patients with diabetes.
For further information and support for those with diabetes, please visit the Diabetes Federation of Ireland website http://www.diabetesireland.ie.
Many other medicines are also used in the treatment of diabetes, its complications and in the prevention of future complications. Pfizer has many medicines in this area such as a blood-pressure reducing agent cholesterol-lowering agent) and a treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.