The Scale
537 Million
Adults (Aged 20-79 years) are living with diabetes.
*IDF Diabetes Atlas (2021)
The Problem
+50%
Of people living with diabetes will suffer from neurovascular complications (impact of nerves and veins), and a vast majority will only be diagnosed after impact on quality of life (Organ damage).
*American Diabetes Association (ADA)
Early diagnosis and treatment is possible and affordable, but due to different reasons the vast majority of cases are either undiagnosed or diagnosed after substantial progression of complications.
A long, slow and progressive sequence of damage
While the root cause is the same, the complications affect different systems of the body, and the progression of the damage advances at different rates for each.
Each deterioration is often measured as an isolated problem, and correlation is often missed due to the variability in the rate of progression.
Nerve loss precedes most permanent organ damage, and can be measured many years earlier, however it is not being used in diagnosis.
Late identification, late treatment diminished efficacy.
Diagnosis often occurs only after permanent organ damage has developed and a clear impact on daily life is felt.
For example, diabetic eye disease, a neurovascular complication, is often diagnosed after the eye veins begin to deform, which limits treatment options.
By observing and tracking the progression of nerve damage, deterioration can be slowed with treatment much erarlier, offering a significantly greater chance of avoiding permanent damage.
