--- title: Diabetes Has Nearly Doubled Globally Since 1980 description: The percentage of people around the world suffering from diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980 canonical: https://time.com/4283675/diabetes-doubled-globally/ author: Victor Luckerson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-06T16:53:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:57.447Z article:section: Health og:title: Diabetes Has Nearly Doubled Globally Since 1980 og:description: The percentage of people around the world suffering from diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980 og:url: https://time.com/4283675/diabetes-doubled-globally/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Diabetes Has Nearly Doubled Globally Since 1980 twitter:description: The percentage of people around the world suffering from diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Diabetes Has Nearly Doubled Globally Since 1980 > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a31491d3-6cad-4eaa-b68c-cfe819a5da7b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Google Contact Lens Will Measure Glucose Levels in Tears [Watch (HLS stream): Google Contact Lens Will Measure Glucose Levels in Tears](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FJTOMHtN.m3u8) (1:07)  _Published 2014-01-17. The team that developed Google Glass is working on contact lenses to help diabetics monitor their glucose levels._ by [Victor Luckerson](https://time.com/author/victor-luckerson/) ## Victor Luckerson Apr 6, 2016 4:53 PM UTC by [Victor Luckerson](https://time.com/author/victor-luckerson/) ## Victor Luckerson Apr 6, 2016 4:53 PM UTC The percentage of people around the world suffering from diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980, growing from 4.7% of the adult population to 8.5%, according to a [new report](http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/204871/1/9789241565257%5Feng.pdf?ua=1) from the World Health Organization. Today one in 12 people in the Americas have the disease, which can lead to blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation and premature death. According to the WHO’s first Global Report on Diabetes, more than 60% of the population in the Americas is now overweight or obese, a leading cause of type 2 diabetes. In addition to shortening lifespans, the disease is a huge economic burden. Health spending on diabetes is more than $800 billion per year, the WHO says. To combat the disease, the health organization is calling on governments to draft legislation and fiscal policies that would compel people to make better lifestyle decisions, such as higher taxes on sugary drinks and clearer labeling of the fat contents of foods. Preventing diabetes “is not just an individual responsibility,” WHO executive Carissa F. Etienne said in a press release. ## Transcript Google X, the team that brought you Google glass is now focusing on a different type of eyewear, contact lenses. But these aren't just any contact lenses. They're smart connected devices that helped diabetics regularly monitor their glucose levels. >> This prototype looks and feels like a regular soft contact lens, but inside of it, we have a tiny chip and a miniaturize glucose sensor that allows us to continually monitor tear glucose levels. The lens as seen in this image from Google's official blog contains that chip and sensor as well as an antenna that allows the device to connect to a companion app. Google also says it's experimenting with indicator lights. The company is partnering with industry experts to bring the product to market, which would include a contact lens manufacturer and a manufacturer of miniaturized technology, unfortunately though, this product won't be up on store shelves tomorrow. Our writer for Recode says despite Google's early efforts, there still a lot of work to do. Not only does it take ages for a product to receive FDA approval, but it's not known for sure if tears are as viable as blood for measuring glucose levels in the body. 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