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The projected future of diabetes in numbers

The projected future of diabetes in numbers

Stefano Mirabello NowPatientGreen tick
Created on 4 Sep 2023
Updated on 29 Aug 2024

Today, the number of new cases of Type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide by between 2-5% per year. If this trend continues the prevalence of diabetes will double in the next 20 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA estimates that 10.5% of the population in the US have diabetes, 90–95% of which have type 2 diabetes. Almost 90 million people in the US 18 years of age or older are thought to have prediabetes. This is just over 34% of the US adult population. Projected numbers and estimates of diabetes based on age, sex and ethnicity are essential to predict health services needs, the cost of diabetes and planning public health programs aimed to reduce the future burden of diabetes.

Currently, it is estimated that the number of people living with type 1 diabetes worldwide is 40 million. According to the National Health Service (NHS) around 19% of people achieve the recommended NICE target for average blood glucose levels in England and Wales. This drops significantly to about 8% when focusing on the WHO-recommended treatment target of <48mmol. It is important to understand that these population projections and population health metrics are for cases of diagnosed diabetes and do not include undiagnosed diabetes, or prediabetes.

The power of technology

At NowPatient, we believe there are many risk factors that affect someone’s blood glucose. By harnessing the power and data collected by someone’s smartphone we believe we can take more factors into consideration and surface and match these to the user’s current situation allowing them to make more informed decisions and lifestyle interventions.

Technology moves forward at a fast pace. Smartphones, wearables and their apps are becoming more and more used in the health space as data sources and tools to understand the epidemiology of this disease. They are also increasingly being employed in diabetes management, from smart pens, insulin pumps CGM and now the emerging and evolving artificial pancreas closed loop pump systems.

Diabetes patients rarely spend more than a total number of two to three hours per year with a healthcare professional for their diabetes care. For the remaining 8,757 hours, the diabetes population must manage their chronic disease themselves. They need the knowledge and skills to do this. This is where technology comes into play.

Diabetes providers should annually provide the adult population demographic with diabetes in the 12 years and over age group with all of the eight NICE recommended healthcare system processes:

1. HbA1c (blood test for glucose control)

2. Blood Pressure (measurement for cardiovascular disease risk)

3. Serum Cholesterol (blood test for cardiovascular risk)

7. Body Mass Index (measurement for cardiovascular risk/obesity/physical activity)

4. Serum Creatinine (blood test for kidney function)

8. Smoking History (question for cardiovascular risk)

5. Urine Albumin/Creatinine Ratio (urine test for risk of kidney disease)

6. Foot Risk Surveillance (examination for foot ulcer risk)

Fewer people with Type 1 than those with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and other diabetes receive their annual checks.

Super smart phones

The vast majority of us carry a smartphone these days. We use them to set reminders, manage our calendars, play games, browse the web and a whole host of things on top of making calls. The computational power of a smartphone generally goes untapped though. In the ’80s, supercomputers such as the Cray-2 which took up an entire room were used by organisations like NASA to run simulations of experimental aircraft flights etc. In comparison, today’s smartphones outperform those supercomputers on most benchmarks.

The current implementations of this Artificial Pancreas make decisions based on one-off measures (blood glucose) and attempt to adjust the amount of insulin or alert the user to take a hypo treatment. We believe there are more high-risk factors that could be taken into consideration and used to help people make more informed decisions based on their increased risk.

Imagine if that tiny supercomputer in your pocket was continuously learning about you, and what most affects you at any moment. What if you could glance at it at any time and find out what was happening?

We’re on our way

We’re building an app that does just that. In collaboration with our beta users, we are continuously developing, learning and releasing features to achieve this goal. Our aim is that by continuously learning what affects a user most and by adapting to the current circumstance, our app will allow the user to see past situations that are similar to their current situation, what they did and what the outcomes were. This will enable them to make better-informed decisions in the now with a few simple taps.

Medical Disclaimer

NowPatient has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all material is factually accurate, complete, and current. However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information on this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.

The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.

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What does NowPatient do?

NowPatient is an online pharmacy & telehealth service that is available in the US and UK. Our service is FREE and packed with useful features that can help you save money on the cost of your medications, access virtual treatments, and provide tools that can help improve your overall health.

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Our service is operated by experienced medical professionals in the United States and the United Kingdom. You can view the online services that we provide by clicking Features.

UK users can safely and securely buy medicines online that treat a wide range of medical conditions. UK customers can also order NHS prescriptions online with the benefit of free tracked delivery.

US customers, regardless of insurance coverage, can enjoy huge savings on prescription medications using our various drug savings programs including drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

Where is NowPatient located?

NowPatient has offices in the United Kingdom and United States.

In the UK, we are located at:

NowPatient
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Coulsdon
Surrey
CR52RA

In the US, we are located at:

NowPatient
8911 North Capital of Texas Highway
Suite 4200 #1263
78759
Austin, TX

How can I contact NowPatient?

To contact NowPatient, please use the contact form available on the Contact Us page.

Alternatively, if you need to speak to us, you can reach us on the following numbers:

UK telephone number – 020 388 51 500
US telephone number – 1-866-967-1977

Who owns NowPatient?

NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.

Our website is www.nowpatient.com. Our App is called “NowPatient” and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play (for Android devices).

Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?

NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.

Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).

Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.

How do I make a complaint?

From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.

Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s prescribing services for treatments offered?

Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:

• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
• transport services, triage, and medical advice are provided remotely
• caring for adults over 65 years old
• caring for adults under 65 years old

NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla.

Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s US services?

Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.

You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

We do not provide any prescribing services or dispensing services in the United States.

Is NowPatient legit and can I trust information from NowPatient?

Yes. NowPatient provides trustworthy and accessible clinical, health education and prescription services. We are also trusted by the NHS to deliver clinical and NHS repeat prescription dispensing across the whole of England. In the United States, we work with over 65,000 pharmacies to deliver considerable costs savings for our users.

NowPatient is operated by experienced licensed medical professionals in the United Kingdom and United States. Our Medical Team can be found here.

Our service is trusted by thousands of patients worldwide. You can read their reviews on our Trustpilot:

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What are NowPatient’s opening hours?

Our office hours are:

UK – Monday-Friday 9am-6pm GMT
US – Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST

Please note that we are closed at weekends.

In the event of a medical life-threatening emergency please call:

UK – 999
US – 911

In the event of a medical emergency which is not life-threatening please call:

UK – 111

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