You Don't Know What You Don't Know: The Burden of Undiagnosed Diabetes

First published in 2000, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) regularly updates its Atlas, shining light on the impact of diabetes across the world. Often most cited is the diabetes prevalence in different areas of the world.

According to the latest 2021 IDF Diabetes Atlas, as reported in Medscape, 1 in 10 adults worldwide currently live with diabetes, accounting for an estimated global health expenditure of $966 billion in US dollars in 2021. Over three quarters of all adults with diabetes now live in low- and middle-income countries.

Though the above may not be news, I found the estimated numbers of those living with undiagnosed diabetes particularly distressing. According to the Atlas, half of those currently living with diabetes, or about 240 million adults, have not yet been diagnosed with diabetes and are unaware that they have elevated blood sugar levels.

Since 2019, when the last Atlas was published as reported in Medscape, the 2021 numbers represent an increase of 73.6 million more adults with diabetes, including 7.8 million more undiagnosed individuals.

How Is Undiagnosed Diabetes Determined?

How did the Atlas come up with estimates of undiagnosed diabetes when these individuals themselves are unaware that they have diabetes?

Population-based scientific studies were reviewed to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes worldwide.