Today Is the World Diabetes Day - more than 650,000 People in Bulgaria Live with the Disease

World Diabetes Day is celebrated annually on 14 November each year by decision of the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization, in response to growing concern about the future of millions of people suffering from the disease. In 2007, World Diabetes Day is also the official holiday of the United Nations with the adoption of Resolution 61/225, which emphasizes the need for urgent measures to improve the risk factors for diabetes control. November 14 itself was chosen because it was the birthday of Frederick Banting, who together with Charles Best, in 1921, discovered the life-saving treatment for type 1 diabetes - insulin.

According to the International Diabetes Federation (MDF) more than 500,000 people in Bulgaria live with diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Another 150,000 have diabetes but are unaware of it and therefore not treated. This means that the disease affects about 10% of the adult population. In 2005, the incidence was lower - 8.4%, and the forecast for 2030 is an increase to 10.9%, BGNES reported.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood sugar levels due to a partial decrease or impaired effect of insulin (type 2 diabetes) or a complete loss of production in the body (type 1 diabetes). Type 1 diabetes mellitus in a large percentage of cases is an autoimmune disease. It causes severe symptoms, weight loss, increased fluid output, a feeling of weakness, fatigue, and ketoacidosis - very high blood glucose values, which is admitted to the hospital. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is the most common type of diabetes, which is associated with lifestyle risk factors: overweight, obesity, unhealthy eating, reduced physical activity, and alcohol abuse. By changing people's behavior and daily habits,...