368 Million Have Diabetes

Diabetes kills one person every seven seconds, and 386 million people worldwide have the disease, according to new estimates by the International Diabetes Federation released Tuesday. The number is a significant increase from 2009, when an estimated 285 million people suffered from the disease. Global health-care spending for diabetes is $465 billion, but the federation says the increasing numbers should spur even more action. “Diabetes is a massive challenge the world can no longer afford to ignore,” the group’s president said. World leaders are convening Sept. 19 and 20 at the United Nations to discuss the disease.