Curbing the Diabetes Pandemic

disease of the affluent, with lower socioeconomic groups being disproportionately affected in high-income countries and with 77% of the world’s diabetic population living in low- and middle-income countries. It is also no longer predominantly a disease of older persons, with almost half of the people with diabetes in the 40- to 59-year age range. Low- and middle-income countries face the added challenge of dealing with a dual burden of disease, as they are seeing an increase in obesity and diabetes levels, while still grappling with undernutrition and infectious diseases. 3 In 2013, diabetes was associated with US $548 billion in health care expenditures globally. 1 This figure is