Katulanda P, Sheriff M H R, Matthews D R
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Ceylon Med J. 2006 Mar;51(1):26-8. doi: 10.4038/cmj.v51i1.1373.
Diabetes mellitus, which was once considered a disease of the developed world, has become a worldwide pandemic, with two thirds of the global diabetic population living in the developing countries. Local studies show a definite upward trend in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. The earliest available study on a rural community in 1990 reported a prevalence of 2.5%. The largest-ever study on the diabetes prevalence in Sri Lanka was published in 2005. It showed a prevalence of 14.2% among males and 13.5% among females. The World Health Organisation and the International Diabetic Federation estimates and forecasts are much lower than the available local prevalence rates, and what may be predicted from the prevalence rates in South India. Further research is necessary to investigate the exact underlying mechanisms for the South Asian epidemic. Wider preventive programmes need to be urgently implemented to stem the tide.
糖尿病曾被认为是发达国家的疾病，如今已成为全球性的大流行病，全球三分之二的糖尿病患者生活在发展中国家。本地研究表明糖尿病患病率呈明显上升趋势。1990年对一个农村社区的最早研究报告患病率为2.5%。斯里兰卡有史以来最大规模的糖尿病患病率研究于2005年发表。该研究显示男性患病率为14.2%，女性患病率为13.5%。世界卫生组织和国际糖尿病联盟的估计及预测远低于现有的本地患病率，也低于根据印度南部患病率可能做出的预测。有必要进行进一步研究以调查南亚这一流行病的确切潜在机制。迫切需要实施更广泛的预防计划来遏制这一趋势。
