According to the International Diabetes Federation's (IDF) India continues to don the dubious distinction of being the Diabetic capital of the world with the largest number of diabetics?hina comes second but leads on pre-diabetic phase population.

The worse news is that the IDF predicts that ?lobalization and industrialization? will increase ?he prevalence of diabetes? over the ?ext few decades? in dramatic numbers. Producing an Atlas with statistics collected from different nations, the third since 2000, The South African based organization also says that the resulting ?omplications and premature mortality? will a ?ajor and growing public health problem.? The Diabetes Research Centre and M.V. Hospital for Diabetes, Chennai has provided a bulk of the information and statistics on India and its Director Dr. A. Ramachandran was quoted asking for more political activism and policy-making for ?ighting diabetes.?

According to the Atlas, India has 40.9 million diabetics and China with 39.8 million. With projected growth figures, it predicts that India will continue to lead with 69.9 million diabetics in 2025 and China is expected to improve to 59.3 million. However, it says that China is ahead of India in the pre-diabetic stage defined as Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) and associated with insulin resistance. Currently, China is way ahead of the rest of the world with 64.3 million people with IGT and will continue to occupy the top spot in 2025 with 79.1 million. India currently has 35.9 million in this space and is projected to have 56.2 million people with IGT in 2025.

The Atlas warns that ?iabetes is ranked among the leading causes of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputation? in ?very developed society.? Its effects on ?ardiovascular disease? is being studied.