Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic could help policymakers gain an upper hand on the alarming spread of type 2 diabetes (T2D), a growing public health crisis that threatens tens of millions of lives in the United States and hundreds of millions globally.

That's the conclusion of new peer-reviewed paper, "The type 2 diabetes 'modern preventable pandemic' and replicable lessons from the COVID-19 crisis," published last week in Preventive Medicine Reports. Distinct from type one diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease unrelated to behaviors, lifestyle interventions form the basis for prevention of T2D.

The study, sponsored by the diaTribe Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to diabetes education and advocacy, outlines a series of policy proposals that could lessen the suffering of millions and save lives. 

Lead author Michael Singer, managing partner of Vital Tech Partners and diaTribe advisor, explained that T2D, which has tripled globally in the last two decades, is truly a "modern preventable pandemic." He pointed to the legislative response to the COVID-19 crisis as a replicable approach to reduce the deadly growth of type 2 diabetes. The paper was co-authored by Kevin Dorrance, Monica Oxenreiter, Karena Yan, and Kelly Close.

"At the same time as we saw the immediate government response to the COVID-19 crisis, there has remained a severely underestimated and growing type 2 diabetes pandemic affecting roughly one in ten people, with massive health, social and economic implications," Singer said. "The public-private partnership addressing the COVID-19 emergency provides clear, actionable lessons as to how to tackle the type two diabetes pandemic."

The authors assert that with the right education and expanded access to resources, we can mitigate the diabetes crisis through focused government policies and learn from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Without that government intervention, T2D will continue to wreak havoc in families, with enormous health, social and economic implications. Immediate action is necessary. 

The authors urge US lawmakers to make the following 8 intervention based on lessons of the COVID-19 crisis to address the alarming rise in T2D: 

Focus on diagnostics/testing led by the federal government

Concentrate on direct prevention measure programs led by the federal government (e.g., obesity, lifestyle management)

Instill the primary care physician as the key healthcare provider with broad use of telemedicine tools and institute payment reform for appropriate reimbursement for prevention, diagnosis, and disease management of T2D

Improve awareness, access, and coverage of current safe and efficacious T2D therapeutics led by industry (including payors), supported by federal policy and funding

Increase insulin adherence for insulin-dependent T2D patients substantially through economic means

Foster substantial, rapid industry-academia-government collaboration for not only diabetes diagnostics and therapeutics but management and prevention

Increase public awareness of the T2D 'Modern Preventable Pandemic (MPP)' substantially, including awareness of its immense health, social, and economic impacts

Undertake U.S. global leadership to address and defeat the diabetes MPP

"The global response to COVID-19, as flawed and controversial as it may be and has been, provides important lessons of what can be done," the authors write. "An appropriate T2D MPP response requires robust health policy action, strong accompanying political leadership, significant public investment, and expanded media campaigns."

Some facts about type 2 diabetes:

• Over 34 million Americans have diabetes, 90-95% of whom have T2D, and 88 million American adults - about 1 in 3 - have prediabetes.

• Globally, 1 in 10 adults have diabetes.

• Globally, an estimated 537 million adults were living with diabetes in 2021, compared to 108 million in 1980.

• Overall, the number of adults globally living with diabetes has more than tripled over the past 20 years, predicted to increase to 784 million by 2045.

• Another 541 million people worldwide have impaired glucose tolerance and are considered pre-diabetic, an increased risk of developing T2D.

• Current absolute global costs of diabetes are $1.3 trillion, rising to well over $2 trillion under any scenario (and as high as nearly $2.5 trillion) in less than ten years (2030). It is estimated that the global economic burden of diabetes in 2030 will exceed 2015 levels by over 85%, reaching over 2.2% of global GDP (compared with only 1.8% in 2015).

About diaTribe

The mission of The diaTribe Foundation is to improve the lives of people affected by diabetes and pre-diabetes, and to advocate for action. It publishes diaTribe Learn, a patient-focused online resource, which provides actionable advice to make people healthier and happier and give them hope for the future.

SOURCE The diaTribe Foundation