Jerrold Shapiro Katrina, technology is wonderful, but knowledge and self-discipline work much better and are much less expensive. We used to think that obesity and diabetes occurred at the same time, but now we know that obesity causes type 2 diabetes. Replacing the bulk of breads, muffins, cereals and other filling carbohydrates with equally filling carrots, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower and other raw vegetables can reduce weight, get the obese back to a healthy weight and, if done early enough in life, prevent type 2 diabetes (with its risks of blindness, nephropathy and cardiac death.) We all need to do more to get the fast food and sugar industries to care enough about their customers to not kill them with trans-fat, sugar, fried food, carcinogenically processed meats, high fructose corn syrup and sugar laden soft drinks.

Ee Bin Liew change some life habits too - sleep earlier, light dinners, eat regularly at regular intervals.

Concur with everyone's comments. However, everyone seems to know what to do. The problem is that re- learning the natural eating habits and maintaining them is a process. The good news is that there are professionals who know how to effectively coach people to change their habits. Now that most health insurance plans cover Registered Dieticians visits, we should make sure that these services are used. Moreover, there are telemedicine appointments and real-time feedback on food choices. Ask me if interested.

Chronic, manageable diseases represent the perfect intersection of business and medicine....managed well, you have a "customer" (oops, I meant "patient") for life! Why would any sane person want to prevent something that they could monetize!

Thanks everyone for your comments, I am pleased to see my post has generated lots of debate about this pressing issue. A healthier life style and better eating habits are of course the best option for avoiding type 2 diabetes, but this will not help those suffering from type 1 diabetes. The technologies mentioned in this blog post are geared toward limiting, and repairing the damage high blood glucose causes. Quite clearly a cure is the most desirable option in the fight against diabetes. Steps are being made in the right direction for this, but for now, limiting the damage of high blood glucose (and of course, preventative measures for type 2 diabetes) are the best options.

Giovanni Lamenza Hello everyone, I'm in charge of the two main italian patients associations for diabetes care: Diabete Italia includes scientific societies, nurseis and patiens associations (adults and children's parents).
Recently some italian regions are purchasing the diagnostic devices for measuring blood glucose by tenders making worry the patients community.
We are having difficult to explain to politicans the risks related to the device change. The new tecnologies can definitely help the diabetes management if are economically sustainable.

Harish Kapoor Absolutely -Big Data Consumerizing Diabetes
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/big-data-consumerisms-diabetes-harish-kapoor?trk=pulse_spock-articles

Effectively, the most important thing to do is patient education with all health Professionals.
It is important to speak about drugs, management of glycemia, food, activity... Patient must be actor of his desease. New technologies just help him.

Amy Butler, MBA I agree with Katrina that technology is important in treating and addressing diabetes - for type 1s and for those type 2's that just haven't grasped the change in lifestyle. Yes, the healthy lifestyle and discipline are the best solution and least expensive, and often much more success; but the individual has to make the choice to make the change, or they will not be successful. Hopefully "managing" will include education to encourage more of those afflicted with diabetes to seek assistance in changing their lifestyle to healthy habits. Its about setting goals to making that transition to a healthy lifestyle.

beautiful and interesting table, but unfortunately does not display and neglects the impact on children of juvenile diabetes mellitus

Looks promising!

An interesting debate...

New tecnoligies will play a major role in the future to stop the pandemic raise of diabetes. I think it is essential, that we do not expect people just come and get a random test for diabetes. We have to find people among the "normal" population going around without knowing they already get the decease. The fact that people are going around in five and up to ten years without knowing the alarming development are terrible. At the moment we have a big brakthrough in letting algorithms screen among the "normal" population. A Fundus picture and the algorithm of RetinaLyze System will within 20 seconds tell if you have alterrations on the Retina. A major Optical Chain in Denmark has made over 60.000 screenings, on people who just wanted a normal eye test, and found over 400 people with Diabetic Retinopathy. This algorithm can help Diabetes Centers, Screening Clinics, Hospitals, Ophthalmologist and Optometrists, in screening the normal population very cheap. https://retinalyze.com

Giovanni Lamenza In Italy there are 20.000 children with Type 1 diabetes and one of them is my daughter. The age of onset is decreasing more and more and I think just new tecnologies can help the parents to manage the very difficult glycemia control for about 16 years avoiding the complication of diabetes in adult age. A very good training is of course fundamental but i believe this is an health investiment with high return.