China is ranked second in the world in incidence of diabetes, with the number of diabetes patient expected to reach 80 million to 100 million in 2010.

According to a China Youth Daily report, China has 35 million diabetes patients at present, or one fifth of the world total. The number is increasing at a speed of 3,000 per day.

However, the diagnosis rate of the disease among China's diabetes patients between the age of 35 and 74 is only 23.6 percent, which means that three fourths of the people suffering from diabetes don't know they have the disease.

"World Diabetes Day" falls on Monday and Chinese medical experts are calling for more public awareness of the disease.

The key to cure diabetes is to get early treatment and curb the rise of blood sugar rate, said Prof. Wang Heng, an expert of incretion with the Beijing Union Hospital.

The number of diabetes patients around the world has increased from 30 million in 1985 to the current 180 million, and is expected to grow to 366 million in 2025, with 75 percent in developing countries such as India and China, according to the report.

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2005)