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Cardiology

Global Burden of Diabetes in Women: A Population-Based Study

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study published in the journal BMC Medicine sheds light on the understated global burden of diabetes in women, revealing that the disease disproportionately affects women due to sex-specific health conditions, unequal healthcare access, and underrepresentation in clinical trials. The research highlights the significant increase in age-standardized incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of diabetes in women from 1990 to 2021, with projections indicating a further increase by 2050.

Key Takeaways:

  • The global age-standardized incidence of diabetes in women was 273 (95% uncertainty interval 253 to 294) per 100,000 population in 2021, with 2.5% being type 1 diabetes (T1D).
  • The age-standardized incidence of T1D increased from 1990 to 2021, with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 0.48% (p < 0.01).
  • For type 2 diabetes (T2D) in women, the global age-standardized incidence, mortality, and DALY all significantly increased over time, despite declining mortality at High and High-middle sociodemographic index (SDI) levels.
  • The proportional non-fatal burden of T1D and T2D is forecasted to increase by 2050, highlighting the need for effective prevention and long-term management.
  • The research attributes the increasing burden of diabetes in women to sex-specific health conditions, unequal healthcare access, and underrepresentation in clinical trials.
  • The study is based on data extracted from the Global Burden of Disease 2021, with age-standardized incidence, mortality, and DALY calculated at global, SDI, regional, and national levels.

Statistics:

  • 273 per 100,000 population: the global age-standardized incidence of diabetes in women in 2021.
  • 2.5%: the proportion of type 1 diabetes (T1D) among the global age-standardized incidence of diabetes in women in 2021.
  • 0.48% (p < 0.01): the average annual percent change (AAPC) of T1D incidence from 1990 to 2021.
  • 2050: the projected year for further increase in the proportional non-fatal burden of T1D and T2D.

Sources:

  • (Department of Cardiology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang, 830001, People's Republic of China) "Global burden of diabetes in women from 1990 to 2021, with projections to 2050: population-based study." BMC Medicine, 2025;23(1):538.
  • (BioMed Central - www.biomedcentral.com/; BMC Medicine - www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/) "BMC Medicine." Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England.

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