This November 14 is World Diabetes Day. The opportunity to discuss the significant prevalence of the disease in Guadeloupe; this concerns nearly 12% of the population locally, twice as much as in France. It is one of the most widespread pathologies in the archipelago. An update on the figures, which demonstrate the health emergency that diabetes represents in the archipelago.
World Diabetes Day, an event dedicated to information and awareness, takes place every November 14. This silent disease is constantly progressing; it is gaining ground internationally, including France and Guadeloupe.
537 million people aged 20 to 79 had diabetes in 2021, according to the International Diabetes Federation; this number corresponds to 10.5% of the world population in this age group.
Nationally, more than 3.3 million people were living with diabetes in 2022, according to Health Insurance. If we follow the same slope, 520,000 additional patients will suffer from diabetes in 2027. The overseas territories and the North-East of France are the French regions most affected by the disease.
The fight against a sedentary lifestyle, but also for a healthier and more balanced diet, is among the keys to the fight against this scourge.
The prevalence of diabetes in Guadeloupe is almost double that of France, for type 2 diabetes: 11.27% for the department in 2022, compared to 6.3% across the Atlantic.
On the other hand, for type 1 diabetes, the incidence rate here is among the lowest, in children under 15 years old.
Diabetes generally affects men more than women, but the trend is opposite in Guadeloupe: 59% women, compared to 41% men.
The occurrence of serious complications also increases the burden of diabetes. Hospitalizations for foot or leg amputations are more frequent locally, as are hospitalizations for strokes, or hospitalizations for end-stage chronic renal failure, situations 1.3 times more frequent in Guadeloupe than in the Hexagon.
Diabetes is, in three quarters of cases, discovered during screening. But studies show that one in two people do not know they have diabetes. This results in a delay in support. Patients are then exposed to hyperglycemia which is harmful to their organs.
This situation seems common but, on this subject, the Public Health France study, published last year, requires further investigation.
In any case, collective awareness among the population and health professionals remains essential, as during this world day dedicated to diabetes.
France
