(CNN) – Insulin is needed to treat all people with Type 1 diabetes and some people with Type 2 diabetes.
The latter form of the disease is strongly linked to lifestyle factors like obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity.
A new study says almost half of those who need insulin because of Type 2 diabetes won’t have access to it by the year 2030.
As diets and lifestyles change, so do rates of certain diseases. And according to the new study published in the medical journal The Lancet, these changes will cause a dramatic increase in the number of people living with diabetes.
By the year 2030, nearly 511 million adults around the world will have Type 2 diabetes, and 79 million of them will need insulin to manage their condition.
But the study says access to insulin will fall well short of demand. Researchers predict only half of those who need it will be able to get it.
Diabetics in African and Asian countries will be impacted the most.
Right now, three major manufacturers dominate the insulin market, and the treatment is expensive.
While governments continue to encourage healthier lifestyles to prevent Type 2 diabetes, the authors of the study also hope for initiatives to make life-changing insulin available and affordable.
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