The prevalence of diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, is rapidly increasing in most countries in the world. The increase of cases in Russia is a cause for concern — one out of every two people do not know they have the disease — as initially it does not show any symptoms. Four million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in Russia, and almost six million people are unaware of their disease.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, there are 387 million people living with diabetes worldwide today, and it is estimated that by 2035, some 592 million people will be living with it. The burden on the economy is considerable. In Russia, the annual cost of caring for diabetic patients is $12.5 billion.
According to statistics from the World Health Organization there are 60 million people with diabetes in the European Region, or about 10.3 percent of men and 9.6 percent of women aged 25 years and over. In the United States, 29 million people have diabetes, up from the previous estimate of 26 million in 2010.