[The 'diabetes crisis': a historical reflection on the nature of the problem].

Abstract

Prompted by new epidemiological data on 'prediabetes', the current debate on the 'diabetes crisis' focuses on the scale of the problem. Less attention has been paid to the nature of the problem and the precise meaning of the aforementioned epidemiological data. In this regard, the history of prediabetes provides two valuable insights. First, a 'taxonomic expansion' has occurred, with the categories 'prediabetes' and 'diabetes' penetrating ever deeper into the domain of the asymptomatic. In addition, the 'convergence' of disease and risk has created confusion between two different ways of modelling. The term 'prediabetes' originally denoted a preliminary stage in the diabetic disease process, but now mainly indicates increased cardiovascular risk. On the basis of these two historical developments, important questions can be raised about the nature of the current 'diabetes crisis' and the aims of the Diabetes Fund's current campaign.