Monday marks World Diabetes Day and the theme this year is Eyes on Diabetes. Activities focus on the importance of screening to ensure early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the risk of serious complications.
Around 420 million adults live with diabetes around the world - and this number is expected to increase to around 642 million by 2040.
In China, over 100 million people are living with Diabetics, but only half are aware of their conditions. Experts say that Screening for type 2 diabetes is important to modify its course and reduce the risk of complications.
The World Health Organization is calling for increased global efforts to combat the disease. The organization also says the spike in diabetes cases in China has been explosive. But what can be down to counter this and how can individuals protect themselves?
Professor Yang Wenying from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital has studied the disease for more than forty years.
"It is not easy to detect diabetes. Even blood glucose testing can show some abnormality and patients can feel completely normal. That's why early screening is very important," Professor Yang said.
The majority of diabetes sufferers have type 2 diabetes, largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity. And unhealthy lifestyles are also putting China’s children at risk. Professor Yang has some advice on establishing a more effective medical system.
"We can establish a medical system for hospitals and clinics at all levels to carry out screening tests for high risks group every ten years. It's more efficient and cheaper than testing everyone," Professor Yang said.
Diabetes is incurable, but if it's detected early and managed well, major health issues such as kidney failure, heart attacks and blindness can be avoided. The Chinese government is working to raise the public's awareness of the disease. But in the end, the best course of action is a healthy diet and lifestyle.