Diabetes Will Grow for the Foreseeable Future. How Many Patients Will Be Headed to UC?

The number of people living with diabetes across the globe is expected to double in the coming decades, ultimately exceeding 1.3 billion by the year 2050. As reported by MedPage Today, data presented at the American Diabetes’ Society’s annual Scientific Sessions age-standardized global diabetes prevalence will jump from 6.1% to 9.8% thanks largely to unchecked increases in body mass index and social determinants of health. Limiting complications will require both better care and expanded access to care, according to the investigators. Given the reliance of U.S. patients on urgent care—often at the expense of a traditional primary care provider relationship—it stands to reason that the percentage of patients presenting to UC with diabetes-related concerns will also continue to grow. It is essential for the urgent care provider to recognize that diabetes is often an incidental finding. One such instance is relayed A Case of Late-Onset Diabetes in the JUCM archive. In addition, watch for a new article entitled HbA1c as Screening/Diagnoses for Early or Asymptomatic Diabetes in the Urgent Care Facility in the September issue of JUCM.