Latvia’s diabetes cases rise as doctors urge regular testing

Diabetes cases in Latvia continue to rise, with unhealthy daily habits among the main causes, LSM reported on World Diabetes Day.

Latvia had 106,000 people with diabetes last year, 2.1% more than in 2024, according to statistics cited in the report. More than 530 people died from diabetes complications last year.

Most patients have type 2 diabetes, which is more closely linked than type 1 to lifestyle factors, including excess weight and obesity. The disease can initially have no symptoms, meaning people may live for years with high blood glucose before it is detected.

Between 40% and 45% of cases are diagnosed in hospital after complications arise, often following a heart attack or stroke, said Indra Štelmane, president of the Latvian Diabetes Federation and an endocrinologist. She urged people to know the risk factors and check their blood glucose regularly.

On World Diabetes Day, specialists offered free blood glucose tests and advice at several shopping centres in Riga and at Āgenskalns Market, a market in the city.

Type 2 diabetes, once mainly seen in adults aged 35 to 40 and older, has increasingly affected children over the past 20 years worldwide, said Landa Jaunzema, head of the Latvian Children and Youth Diabetes Association. She also linked the trend mainly to unhealthy daily habits.