Diabetes

Diabetes at a glance - subject-specific and up-to-date

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease. It occurs when insulin production by the pancreas is disrupted or when the body's cells become insensitive to the absorption of insulin (insulin resistance).1 Hyperglycaemia is a common consequence of uncontrolled diabetes and leads to severe damage to many organs over time, particularly the heart, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels.2 About half of all patients with type 2 diabetes develop chronic kidney disease3 and the risk of chronic heart failure increases by a factor of 2-5.4

The number of people with diabetes mellitus worldwide rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.2 In Switzerland, around half a million people are affected by diabetes mellitus, with type 2 diabetes being by far the most common form of diabetes and occurring in around 90% of those affected.1

Genetic, environmental and metabolic risk factors are interlinked and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. A family history, age, obesity and lack of exercise characterise the people with the highest risk.5

Incidence

Around 500,000 people are living with diabetes in Switzerland1

Secondary diseases

Diabetes is one of the main causes of kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, blindness and lower limb amputation2

Mortality

In 2019, diabetes and diabetes-related kidney disease caused around 2 million deaths worldwide6

Symptoms

The main symptoms of diabetes mellitus include:8

  • High blood sugar levels over a longer period of time
  • Frequent urination
  • Increased thirst
  • Increased appetite

Other signs may include the following:8

  • Blurred vision
  • Frequent infections or wounds that heal slowly
  • Weight loss - even with increased food intake (type 1 diabetes)
  • Tingling, pain or numbness in the hands or feet (type 2 diabetes)

Diagnosis

Diabetes mellitus can be diagnosed on the basis of blood glucose levels. A fasting glucose value can be determined and/or an oral glucose tolerance test can be carried out. The HbA1c value can also be used to determine the long-term blood glucose value.9

As untreated diabetes mellitus can lead to serious complications, early diagnosis is important.7

Treatment

The Swiss Society of Endocrinology and Diabetology (SGED) recommends a change in lifestyle (diet, exercise) and multifactorial treatment (treatment of arterial hypertension, reduction of LDL cholesterol and smoking cessation) as the first step in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.10 On the one hand, the focus of medicinal therapy is on cardiorenal protection and the prevention or treatment of cardiac and renal insufficiency and, on the other hand, on the importance of weight reduction and lowering blood glucose levels.10,11

Initial medical treatment should therefore consist of a combination of a biguanide derivative (metformin) with an SGLT2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 

receptor agonist. If this initial two-fold combination is not sufficient, a triple combination with all three active ingredients is recommended. If the triple combination does not adequately reduce the HbA1c value to the desired target value, insulin treatment is required. However, if insulin deficiency is the predominant factor at the beginning, insulin treatment is the mainstay of therapy.10

GLP-1: glucagon-like peptide-1; HbA1c: haemoglobin A1c; SGLT: sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter 2.

References:

  1. Federal Office of Public Health. Diseases at a glance, diabetes. Available online at: https://www.bag.admin.ch/de/diabetes. Last accessed on: 18.06.2026. 
  2. WHO Factsheet Diabetes. Available online at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes. Last revised on 05/04/2023. Last accessed on: 18.06.2026. 
  3. Thomas MG, et al. Diabetic kidney disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015 Jul 30;1:15018. 
  4. Nichols GA, et al. Congestive heart failure in type 2 diabetes: prevalence, incidence, and risk factors. Diabetes Care. 2001 Sep;24(9):1614-9. 
  5. Fletcher B, Gulanick M, Lamendola C. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2002 Jan;16(2):17-23.
  6. Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Results. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. 2020. Available online at: https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/. Last accessed on: 18.06.2026. 
  7. Alam S, et al. Diabetes Mellitus: lnsights from Epidemiology, Biochemistry, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Complications and Comprehensive Management. Diabetology. 2021;2(2):36-50. 
  8. Good to Know: Diabetes Symptoms and Tests. Clin Diabetes. 2020 Jan;38(1):108. 
  9. EISayed NA, et al. on behalf of the American Diabetes Association. 2. Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023. Diabetes Care. 2023 Jan 1;46(Suppl 7):p19-p40. 
  10. Recommendations of the Swiss Society of Endocrinology and Diabetology (SGED/SSED) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (2023). Available online at: https://www.sgedssed.ch/SgedSsed/fileadmin/6_Diabetologie/61_Empfehlungen_Facharzt/SGED-SSED_long_Recommendations_2023_en.pdf. Last accessed on: 18.06.2026. 
  11. Davies MJ, et al. Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes, 2022. A Consensus Report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care. 2022 Nov 1;45(11):2753-2786.

Healthcare professionals may request the referenced publications from AstraZeneca.

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CH-12953-Revision date 06/2026

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