Today is World Diabetes Day 2017. On November 14th of each year, people from around the world work in unison to raise awareness of the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2017 is Women and Diabetes.

Women and Diabetes

Diabetes is a leading cause of death in women, and currently nearly 200 million women are living with the condition. Alarmingly, by 2040, that number is projected to rise to over 300 million. Two of every five women with diabetes are in their reproductive years, and one in seven births are affected by gestational diabetes. Efforts to promote the importance of affordable and equitable access to essential diabetes medicines and technologies, self-management education and information for all women at risk for or living with diabetes will not only benefit women, but also children.

From the World Diabetes Day website:

Two out of every five women with diabetes are of reproductive age, accounting for over 60 million women worldwide. Women with diabetes have more difficulty conceiving and may have poor pregnancy outcomes. Without pre-conception planning, type 1 and type 2 diabetes can result in a significantly higher risk of maternal and child mortality and morbidity.

Approximately one in seven births is affected by gestational diabetes (GDM), a severe and neglected threat to maternal and child health. Many women with GDM experience pregnancy related complications including high blood pressure, large birth weight babies and obstructed labour. A significant number of women with GDM also go on to develop type 2 diabetes resulting in further healthcare complications and costs.

The World Diabetes Day website has a wealth of information on how diabetes affects women, girls, and infants across the world, and we encourage all of our readers to take a look at the eye opening statistics.

In the stem cell world, there has been steady progress in research and trials involving stem cells being used to treat type 1 diabetes. In our blog post from august 11th, where we discuss San Diego-based ViaCyte, and the announcement that it was conducting human tests using an islet-cell replacement candidate product for patients with type 1 diabetes.

Stem Cells Deliver New Type 1 Diabetes Therapy

For additional information on diabetes and how stem cells may be used in the future to address the condition, please call us at 800-991-4999.