According to WHO estimates, there are around 190 million people with diabetes worldwide, with this figure forecast to rise to 330 million by the year 2025. Diabetes has already become the most common reason for limb amputations and blood dialysis, as well as the leading cause of blindness. Moreover, health care authorities are concerned by diabetes 'growing prevalence and tendency to affect younger segments of the population.
根據世界衛生組織估算，目前全球共有一億九千萬名糖尿病患，到二○二五年，預計更將有三億三千萬人身受糖尿病之苦，糖尿病已是許多國家成人截肢、失明、洗腎的第一元凶，而它日益普遍化、年輕化的趨勢更令醫界憂心。