LONDON (Daily Mail) – The Middle East and North Africa region has the highest prevalence of diabetes, research has revealed, with Kuwait and Egypt among the top 10 countries for rates of the condition worldwide in 2021.
The figures from Our World in Data used information from the International Diabetes Federation to measure the prevalence of diabetes among populations aged 20-79 in 211 countries.
Kuwait placed third, with 24.9 percent of the population suffering from diabetes. Egypt came in 10th, with 20.9 percent of people being diabetic. Saudi Arabia placed 18th, with 18.7 percent of the population suffering from diabetes.
But Mauritania, with a rate of just 2.1 percent, came in at 205 on the list of 211 countries — the only Arab state in the bottom 10.
The prevalence of malnutrition and physically intensive agrarian lifestyles have been cited as a cause of low rates in some African countries.
Research has shown that ethnic groups across MENA and South Asia have greater genetic predispositions to insulin resistance — a trigger for diabetes.
Pakistan, with 30.8 percent of its population suffering from the condition, came in first place. Diabetes rates in the South Asian country are surging, with 33 million adults living with the condition this year — a 70 percent increase since 2019, with an estimated one-quarter of adults remaining undiagnosed.
Worldwide, the International Diabetes Federation said the condition accounted for more than 400,000 deaths in 2021.
The placement of Western countries on the list, including the U.S. and UK, came in lower than expected, ranking 59th and 136th respectively.
Research has linked the prevalence of diabetes to a range of aggravating factors, including obesity, high consumption of added sugars, high salt intake and sedentary lifestyles.