site.btaOver 480,000 Bulgarians Affected by Diabetes in 2024, Doctors Warn of Rising Cases among Youth

In 2024, a total of 482,000 Bulgarians have diabetes, and an increasing number of young people are in a prediabetic condition, said Prof. Anna-Maria Borisova, Head of the Endocrinology Clinic at Sofiamed Hospital, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.

Prof. Borisova noted that in 2000 the number of diagnosed diabetics in Bulgaria was 254,000. According to Prof. Mihail Boyanov from the Endocrinology Clinic at Alexandrovska Hospital, the number is expected to reach 397,000 by 2050, though the projected decrease compared to the current figure is due to the overall decline in the country’s population. Prof. Borisova warned that one in five people is unaware that they are affected by diabetes.

The doctors emphasized the need to raise public awareness and conduct screening among at-risk groups – older adults, people who are overweight, and those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Prof. Borisova added that the risk of developing diabetes is higher among men than among women.

Changes in diet, increased physical activity, and adequate sleep are key measures in diabetes prevention, the doctors pointed out. They said that individuals who are overweight, experience unexplained fatigue, or have relatives with diabetes should have their blood sugar tested. Obesity leads to insulin resistance, not the other way around, Prof. Borisova explained. Insulin resistance lies at the core of metabolic disorders and can lead to a prediabetic condition. She stressed the importance of preventing the transition from prediabetes to diabetes, as diabetes is often followed by cardiovascular diseases. Even prediabetes alone can contribute to such conditions, she added.

Prof. Borisova also reported that four national screening studies conducted among 4,500 people in 2006, 2012, 2020, and 2024 show a steady increase in diabetes cases, a trend consistent with global data. Follow-up testing in 2017 of participants from the 2012 screening revealed that half of those identified as prediabetic in 2012 had since developed diabetes.

The risk of prediabetes increases with age, but over 200,000 Bulgarians of reproductive age are already in a prediabetic state. Prof. Borisova identified obesity as the second major risk factor, noting that more than 68% of Bulgarians are overweight, half of whom are obese. Obesity affects about 25% of women and 40% of men, she said. Another key risk factor is high blood pressure, which, like obesity, rises with age and is directly linked to prediabetes – a condition underlying both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, she added.