Mediterranean diet, type 2 diabetes prevention and healthy ageing: do we need more evidence?

We are witnessing an unprecedented escalation of the incidence and prevalence of diabetes worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation, in 2021, 537 million people were affected by diabetes, and projections estimate that the number will rise to 783 million by 2045, with 3 in 4 adults living in low- and middle-income countries [ [1] Sun H. Saeedi P. Karuranga S. Pinkepank M. Ogurtsova K. Duncan B.B. et al. IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global, regional and country-level diabetes prevalence estimates for 2021 and projections for 2045. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2022; 183109119 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (1705) Google Scholar ]. Changing this trajectory represents a priority, considering that diabetes accelerates ageing and is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular (CV) and renal disease, cognitive decline, multimorbidity, frailty, and shortened life expectancy, and it imposes a huge economic burden on health care systems [ [2] Tomic D. Shaw J.E. Magliano D.J. The burden and risks of emerging complications of diabetes mellitus. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022; 18: 525-539 Crossref PubMed Scopus (87) Google Scholar ]. Despite advances in therapies, people with diabetes have their life expectancy decreased by up to 10 years [ [3] Wright A.K. Kontopantelis E. Emsley R. Buchan I. Sattar N. Rutter M.K. et al. Life Expectancy and Cause-Specific Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study Quantifying Relationships in Ethnic Subgroups. Diabetes Care. 2017; 40: 338-345 Crossref PubMed Scopus (103) Google Scholar ].