Europe tackles pre-diabetes

Diabetes is the fourth leading global cause of death and, with over 60 million people in Europe already estimated to have pre-diabetes, the situation is set to escalate at an alarming rate unless urgent action is taken. To combat this, innovative ways of working are called for at every level of society, from political measures through to personal action.

The EU Diabetes Working Group held last week in Brussels brought together MEPs to focus on EU action to improve prevention, care and management of diabetes in the context of a European diabetes strategy. The European Union (EU) has created "Diet, Physical Activity and Health - A European Platform for Action", a new programme for the prevention of pre-diabetes and other chronic conditions. This initiative was outlined at the recently held 1st International Congress on "Pre-diabetes" and the Metabolic Syndrome. According to Wilfried Kamphausen, Principal Administrator in the European Commission, the Platform brings together all relevant players active at European level that are willing to enter into binding and verifiable commitments that could help to halt and reverse current obesity trends, a major risk factor for pre-diabetes. The Platform aims to catalyse voluntary action across the EU by business, civil society and the public sector. Members of the Platform - which include the key EU-level representatives of the food, retail, catering, and advertising industries, consumer organisations and health NGOs - have pledged to work together and share their expertise.

Based on the evidence of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention study, Germany is actively identifying people with pre-diabetes, a condition where the level of glucose in the blood is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. The programme includes long-term assistance in helping them to improve their lifestyle and dietary habits and is being extended so ultimately the whole of Germany will adopt the same approach to managing people most at risk of developing diabetes.

In France, a new study, STEP by STEP, has demonstrated that there is a high prevalence of previously unidentified diabetes. Based on a survey of over 19,000 people, the study showed that just over one in ten were found to have unidentified diabetes. There is clearly still much work to do.

To answer this need, Gluco-forum, a European group of diabetes experts has been brought together by the International Diabetes Federation (European region) to raise awareness of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and so actively help the millions of people in Europe thought to be at risk.

Professor Pierre Lefebvre, President of the IDF commented "We are working in an extremely challenging environment, however these cutting-edge initiatives will lead the way in creating a comprehensive societal approach to addressing the challenges and issues that are currently preventing millions from living healthily, free from the threat of diabetes."