Wide ranging report looks at global impact of type 2 diabetes
A picture of type 2 diabetes in 2026 presented to reflect on growing number of diagnoses.
An updated report on the global state of type 2 diabetes has been published to examine the changing global picture of the condition.
A group of global experts in type 2 diabetes have compiled an overview on the mechanisms of its progression, its diagnosis and treatment for a report recently published in Nature Reviews Disease Primers.
The report suggests that the rising cases of the condition is being caused by individuals’ underlying genetic risk alongside a changing social environment, which is driving sedentary lifestyle, adverse diet and obesity.
These factors are driven by the social determinants of health, and include things like public policy, income inequality, food environment, adverse housing quality and social isolation.
The report details these social determinants of health, and their complex interplay with type 2 diabetes, including findings by experts from South Korea, the USA, Brazil, Ghana and Bulgaria, to provide a global perspective, alongside Professor Davies and colleagues from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Professor Tom Yates, and early-career researchers, Dr Jonathan Goldney and Dr Tommy Slater.
Melanie Davies, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester and lead author of the report, said: “Since the last overview was published, type 2 diabetes has become a global epidemic.”
The report said: “Currently, emerging and non-traditional diabetes complications, such as those related to mental health and cognitive function, are being recognised, and people with type 2 diabetes increasingly experience multimorbidity and reduced quality of life. Additionally, a growing prevalence of obesity has resulted in high rates of obesity-related complications. Novel therapies and technologies may offer considerable benefit, although socioeconomic disparities may exacerbate barriers to effective prevention and equitable access.”
The review highlights a recent finding about the biological changes that cause type 2 diabetes, researchers have dubbed the ‘Tumultuous Thirteen’.
Dr Jonathan Goldney from the University of Leicester explained: “This new way of thinking highlights how 13 different systems in the body can malfunction and lead to type 2 diabetes, varying from how the body produces and uses insulin, a core hormone important for lowering blood glucose, to more newly-identified processes including the gut microbiome and appetite hormone signalling.
“This review highlights that these systems are all interrelated, and how they could all be important in developing future treatments for type 2 diabetes.”
The review also reviews the increasing number of ‘GLP-1’ based medications, one of the most significant changes in type 2 diabetes treatment. These medications mimic hormones that help the body feel full and regulate blood glucose, which can lead to large amounts of weight loss.
The review includes a graphic explaining the current treatment landscape of these medications, and highlights the large number of new medications that are likely to become available over the next five years.
Professor Davies added: “GLP-1RAs and dual GLP-1–GIP agonists have revolutionised pharmacological management of type 2 diabetes by providing benefits beyond glycaemic control, including substantial weight loss and cardiovascular benefits.
“Similarly, SGLT2 inhibitors have become foundational treatments particularly for all individuals with co-existing health conditions.
“However, the complex nature of type 2 diabetes and the illnesses that often present with it alongside it underscore the urgent need for a person-centred, holistic approach from health care providers.
“One that integrates glucose and weight management with broader attention to other health conditions, 24-hour physical behaviours, wellbeing and social determinants of health.”
Read the full report in Nature Reviews Disease Primers
View the PrimeView type 2 diabetes mellitus graphic in Nature Reviews Disease Primers
Read more about type 2 diabetes
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