During a European meeting of the International Diabetes Federation, it was announced that 366 million people now suffer from the disease — and that number is only going up.

Since diabetes is most often diagnosed in middle age, experts believe the increase in cases is at least partially due to an aging population, as well as overall population growth and rising obesity rates.

In a statement, Jean Claude Mbanya, the president of the International Diabetes Federation, said, “The clock is ticking for the world’s leaders. We expect action from their meeting next week at the United Nations that will halt diabetes’ relentlessly upwards trajectory.”

With one person dying from the disease every seven seconds worldwide, the federation wants the UN group to focus on prevention, to commit to more research, and to have diabetes care integrated into local health clinics.

Globally, $465 billion is spent every year to fight both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Left unchecked, it can lead to chronically high blood sugar levels that cause nerve damage and result in kidney disease, blindness and amputation.

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