Diabetes in France in 2016: An Overview

Diabetes in France in 2016: An Overview

To mark World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2018, Santé publique France has published an epidemiological report providing an overview of diabetes in France in 2016. The report details the prevalence of drug-treated diabetes, its complications, and healthcare utilization among people with diabetes, as well as regional and socioeconomic disparities.

Key figures and findings for 2016

  • More than 3.3 million people are receiving pharmacological treatment for diabetes, representing 5% of the population.

  • Among these individuals:

    • more than 8,100 were hospitalized for a transmural myocardial infarction

    • more than 19,800 were hospitalized for a stroke,

    • more than 26,700 were hospitalized for a foot ulcer,

    • more than 8,400 were hospitalized for a lower limb amputation

    • more than 4,400 underwent dialysis or received a kidney transplant.

  • The incidence rates of these complications remained stable over the 2010–2016 period, except for strokes and foot ulcers, whose frequency is increasing.

  • Socioeconomic and regional disparities remain very pronounced, whether in terms of diabetes prevalence or the occurrence of serious complications

These observations serve as a reminder that diabetes is a disease that represents a heavy burden, for which every level of prevention—whether primary, secondary, or tertiary—remains fundamental in combating the onset of this disease, its progression, and social and regional inequalities.

Overview of the disease

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia (excessively high blood sugar levels) linked to a deficiency in insulin secretion or action, or both. There are two main forms of diabetes:

  • Type 1 (about 6% of diabetes cases) occurs primarily in children or young adults. It is caused by the destruction of the pancreas’s beta cells, resulting in the affected person’s inability to produce insulin. This is why it often has an acute onset in children and adolescents, particularly in younger individuals, with a very rapid progression toward ketoacidosis. Insulin injections are vital for these individuals;

  • Type 2, which is the most common form (about 92%), occurs primarily in adults but can also appear as early as adolescence. It can progress without symptoms for several years. Screening is performed on an empty stomach via a blood test to measure blood glucose levels. An abnormal result (above 1.26 g/L or 7 mmol/L) must be confirmed by a second test. Type 2 diabetes can be treated with diet alone, oral antidiabetic medication, GLP-1 analog injections, or insulin injections.

There are also other forms of diabetes, such as gestational diabetes (which occurs during pregnancy and usually resolves after childbirth), or cases of diabetes resulting from specific medical conditions or genetic factors.

As the disease progresses, diabetes can lead to serious complications affecting the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. However, good management of the disease can significantly reduce the risk of complications.

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