Conclusion
These predictions, based on a larger number of studies than previous estimates, indicate a growing burden of diabetes, particularly in developing countries.
Keywords Diabetes; Prevalence; Ageing; Urbanization
1. Introduction Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in nearly all countries, and continues to increase in numbers and significance, as changing lifestyles lead to reduced physical activity, and increased obesity. Estimates of the current and future burden of diabetes are important in order to allocate community and health resources, and to emphasise the role of lifestyle, and encourage measures to counteract trends for increasing prevalence.