Vietnamese diabetics rise by 211% in 10 years

The number of diabetics in Vietnam has increased by 211 percent compared to 10 years ago, while the number of people with glucose tolerance disorder has nearly doubled, local press reported Thursday. The figure was released at a conference held recently by Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center and the city health department at which ways to implement the 2013 plan for diabetes prevention and control were discussed, local Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. According to the latest figures, 5.7 percent of the country's population is affected with diabetes while the rate of people with pre-diabetes and glucose tolerance disorder is 12.8 percent. In southern Ho Chi Minh City, the rate of diabetics is 6.5 percent and the rate of glucose tolerance disorder is 12.8 percent, the highest in the country. In 2000, there are 171 million diabetics globally and the figure increased to 246 million in 2006 and will possibly reach 380-399 million in 2025, according to the World Health Organization. Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose, either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria, they will become increasingly thirsty and hungry.