Title:Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Focus on Asian Indians Living in
India and Abroad: A Systematic Review
Volume: 23
Issue: 5
Author(s): Faiz Noor Khan Yusufi*, Aquil Ahmed, Jamal Ahmad, Athanasios Alexiou*, Ghulam Md Ashraf and Ahad Noor Khan Yusufi
Affiliation:
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Faculty of Science, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, 202002,
India
- Department of Science and Engineering,
Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, Australia
- AFNP Med Austria, Wien, Austria
Keywords:
Diabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus, global distribution, asian indians, high risk, insulin resistance.
Abstract:
Background: Diabetes is a highly prevalent disease in the world. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
(T2DM) is growing at an alarming rate due to rapid urbanization, migration, aging population, and
lifestyle changes.
Introduction: We have summarized the global T2DM distribution in specific International Diabetes
Federation (IDF)-defined regions and various countries and highlighted the high risk of T2DM prevalence
in Asian Indians living in India and worldwide.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted using combinations of the following key concepts
‘T2DM’; ‘global distribution’; ‘Asian Indians’; ‘high risk’ and ‘prevalence’ by searching PubMed
and EMBASE databases for articles describing the global distribution of T2DM. From 430 searched
articles, 54 full-text articles were reviewed to study the distribution, risk, and prevalence of diabetes
in various countries.
Results: As per IDF Atlas, 463 million people in 2019 have diabetes worldwide, and it is expected to
rise to 700 million by 2045. The global distribution of T2DM differs from various countries to various
regions. Asia is the epicenter of diabetes, where 60% of people with diabetes live, mainly in China
(139.9 million) and India (65 million). South Asians are more susceptible to developing T2DM as
compared to ethnic Europeans. Asian Indians living worldwide are at a high risk of developing T2DM.
Those who have migrated to various countries (USA, UK, Australia, Singapore, Mauritius, New Zealand,
Fiji, etc.) have a higher prevalence of T2DM than the native population and even more significant
than those Indians living in India due to being more insulin resistant. Indians develop T2DM at
a younger age and at a lower BMI due to genetic makeup and behavioral and environmental determinants,
including diet and sedentary lifestyle and westernization.
Conclusion: In conclusion, insulin levels were found to be higher not only in adults but also in adolescents
and young adults. In addition, rapid urbanization, migration, industrial modernization, and
lifestyle changes are other factors responsible for the development of T2DM.