 In 2017, approximately 462 million individuals were affected by type 2 diabetes corresponding to 6.28% of the world's population. The burden of diabetes mellitus is rising globally, and at a much faster rate in developed regions such as Western Europe. Urgent public health and clinical preventive measures are needed. This article was authored by Moyan Abdul-Basit Khan, Mohammad Jawad Hashim, Jeffrey Kwan King and others.