There are five types of diabetes. Getting into the various types will require an expert in the field which I am not, so I leave that to the medical practitioners. However, it is easy to understand that all are related to each other and is about too little insulin production, insulin resistance or a combination of the two.
1 out of 11 adults has diabetes today. And the numbers are growing among all ages
According to the WHO, Globally, an estimated 415 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014 compared to 108 million in 1980. Diabetes cases have nearly doubled since 1980, rising from 4.7% to 8.5% in the adult population. And the numbers may be higher since 184 or so million have not even been diagnosed.
Statistics vary according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
– 425 million people have diabetes 1-2 remains undiagnosed
– By 2040, 642 million adults (1 in 10 adults) are expected to have diabetes
– 46.5% of those with diabetes have not been diagnosed
– 1 in 7 births is affected by gestational diabetes
– 542,000 children have type 1 diabetes
– 12% of global health expenditure is spent on diabetes ($673 billion)
You can see an interactive map of global diabetes statistics at the IDF website.
Regardless of the exact number, it is a gargantuan problem which continues to get worse, and our sedentary lifestyle, obesity and poor diet are not helping. Our children are spending more time in front of their devices than being active. When I was a child, our parents screamed for us to come to the house to eat. Now we as parents scream for our children to go out and do something physical.
How can IoT help make the lives of people with Diabetes better?
Let’s take an example of an advanced Type 2 case adult living alone at home. She is taking drugs to help the body produce insulin. In this case, the risk is a significant blood glucose level drop during the night which will kill in hours, the monitors go off, but she is already unconscious and can´t hear the alarms.