Diabetes is increasing dramatically in Germany

Sugar becomes a social problem

08/11/2014

About 6 million suffer from a type 2 diabetes trend in Germany. In particular, the number of patients with type 2 diabetes (formerly adult-onset diabetes), which is associated with risk factors such as overweight and obesity, lack of exercise and stress, is steadily rising. Experts have been raising the alarm for a number of years and calling for action. Medication alone could not solve the problem, explains Thomas Danne, chief physician at the Children and Youth Hospital at the Bult in Hanover and CEO of the German Diabetes Aid, in conversation with the news agency "dpa".

Diabetes is a dangerous metabolic disease
"Diabetes is a widespread disease," explains Danne. In Germany alone, around six million people are affected by type diabetes - a third more than 15 years ago. According to expert estimates, by the year 2035, 600 million people worldwide could suffer from the treacherous disease. Currently, statistically, about 750 people in this country suffer from diabetes every day, every three patients die as a result of diabetes.

In 95 percent of the cases, those affected are Type 2 diabetes. Although type 1 diabetes is much less common, patient numbers are also increasing. While genetic factors play a role in type 1, overweight, lack of exercise and stress are the main risk factors in type 2 diabetes. But also environmental pollution such as a high particulate matter emission to promote the disease, as recent data show.

Diabetes is a dangerous metabolic disorder that can cause life-threatening sequelae such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke and kidney failure. Early diagnosis and therapy is therefore particularly important.

Diabetes is favored by obesity
The reason for the strong increase in diabetes patients is above all the growing number of overweight people, explains diabetes researcher Matthias Tschöp from Helmholtz Zentrum München to the news agency. "We just can not get the problem under control. We still do not have anti-obesity drugs, "said the doctor. The only option would currently be in surgical procedures such as the onset of a gastric bypass. Tschöp is therefore researching new drugs that simultaneously fight obesity and diabetes. "We need drugs that are much more effective than they are today." This is what he does with the different fat cells in the body. "There are fat cells that do not store fat but burn it," he explains. Tschöp and his colleagues from Helmholtz Zentrum are trying to find out how the "good" brown fat can be distinguished from the "bad" white one. "We have to be able to turn white into brown fat cells - cells that store calories and convert them into cells that burn calories." But this working principle is still unclear.

Politicians, doctors and the food industry must work together to prevent diabetes
Pediatrician Danne is campaigning for a national diabetes action plan. "18 EU countries already have, Germany lags behind." According to the doctor, the plan is to bind the interests of physicians, politicians or the food industry. In addition, a central diabetes registry should be introduced. "We still know too little about how people are treated," says Danne. In the summer, the federal government approved a national diabetes plan. Now the politicians are on the train, said the pediatrician.

Especially in the early detection must be much improved. "High sugar does not hurt," says Danne. Therefore, many affected people did not notice their illness until complications occurred.

Do not exclude people with diabetes
Despite the partially avoidable risk factors, Tschöp emphasizes that people with diabetes should not be labeled according to the motto "It is your own fault". "There are genetic reasons for obesity, many sufferers have no chance with will alone." Not every overweight person can also get diabetes. On the other hand, people are affected by the disease, the normal weight would have. "Life is not fair," adds Danne. Diabetes has become a social problem that can not be solved with new drugs alone. "Our society does not make healthy life easy," said the pediatrician.

At the World Diabetes Day on November 14, experts want to educate about the disease and show how a normal life despite diabetes is possible. (Ag)

Image: Henrik Gerold Vogel