ZAGREB, 15 May (Hina) - An estimated 700,000 people in Croatia are living with diabetes, with the number of patients steadily rising and the disease increasingly affecting young people and children, experts warned on Wednesday at an event marking Croatian Diabetes Day, 14 May.
"We have around 450,000 registered diabetes patients, but the actual number is estimated at over 700,000. Each year, we see between 30,000 and 35,000 new cases," Dario Rahelić, President of the Croatian Society for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, said at a press conference in Zagreb.
He warned that diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in young people, even children, as a result of unhealthy lifestyles - obesity, irregular eating habits and a lack of physical activity.
He also emphasised the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment, as diabetes often shows no symptoms until serious complications arise.
"Diabetes affects all organ systems - from the heart and blood vessels to the kidneys and eyesight. In many cases, patients only find out they have the disease after suffering a heart attack or stroke," Rahelić cautioned.
More than 20% of HZZO budget spent on diabetes treatment
Rahelić also revealed that over 20% of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) budget is spent on treating diabetes, with 88% of that going towards the treatment of chronic complications.
A public health campaign on the importance of diabetes prevention and early detection was held on Cvjetni Square in the downtown Zagreb. On this occasion, citizens could receive free blood glucose, blood pressure and body mass index checks, as well as expert advice from diabetologists, nutritionists and kinesiologists.
Tomislav Benjak, Assistant Director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), confirmed that the number of diabetes patients is increasing and that estimates of more than 700,000 cases are realistic.
"According to the registry, there are about 400,000 diagnosed patients, while a database analysis from a European project yielded a figure of 450,000. However, the results of preventive check-ups carried out by the HZJZ since last November show that 6% of people over the age of 40 have diabetes without knowing it. This further confirms that a significant number of people are living with undiagnosed diabetes," he said.
Manja Prašek, President of the Zagreb Diabetes Association, also pointed to the issue of supplementary payments for modern treatments. "Although sensors and insulin pumps are available for children, many sophisticated options still require out-of-pocket costs. There are excellent medications available for type 2 diabetes as well, but they are still not fully covered by insurance. This is a problem for many older people," she warned.
On behalf of the City of Zagreb, Mirela Šentija Knežević, Assistant Head of the City Office for Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, expressed support for the initiative.
She noted that an endocrinology clinic recently began operating at the Special Hospital for Pulmonary Diseases, diabetes counselling centres have been opened in local health centres, and programmes such as the "green prescription" provide expert advice from nutritionists and kinesiologists.
Croatian Diabetes Day has been observed on 14 May since 2022, when it was established by the Croatian Parliament as a national day dedicated to the fight against this increasingly prevalent chronic non-communicable disease.
