How Diabetes Type II Develops: Risk Factors and YLDs (Years Lost to Disability)

This Sankey diagram visualizes the progression of diabetes Type II risk factors and their contribution to Years Lost to Disability (YLDs). It illustrates the journey of an individual from exposure to specific risk factors—such as poor dietary habits, age, and gender—toward the development of diabetes and its long-term consequences.

The flow from one risk factor to the next shows how an individual’s lifestyle choices and demographics (such as age and gender) interact to increase the risk of diabetes. For example, high consumption of processed meats and low vegetable intake can lead to higher risk as one moves through different age groups, ultimately resulting in increased YLDs due to diabetes-related complications over time.

How to Interpret the Sankey Diagram:

• Nodes: Each node represents a category (such as Dietary Risk, Age Group, Gender, or Time). The height of the node represents the total population or risk for that category. A taller node indicates a larger portion of people are affected by that factor (e.g., more people in an older age group are at higher risk for diabetes). This value comes from the sum of the flow values entering or exiting the node.
• Flows: The flows between nodes represent the movement of individuals from one category to another. The width of the flow indicates the volume of people transitioning from one stage to the next. Wider flows suggest a stronger relationship between factors. For example, a wide flow between high dietary risk and older age groups suggests that poor dietary habits contribute significantly to diabetes risk in older populations.
• Years Lost to Disability (YLDs): The ultimate consequence of the pathway in this diagram is YLDs, reflecting the years of life lived with disability due to diabetes. The diagram highlights how risk factors accumulate over time and contribute to this burden, helping to identify key moments where intervention could reduce the impact of diabetes.

How to Interact with the Sankey Diagram:

• Hover over nodes: Hovering over a node reveals a tooltip displaying its name and dimensions. The height of a node represents the total population or risk for that category. A taller node indicates a higher portion of people affected by that factor (e.g., more people in an older age group are at higher risk for diabetes).
• Hover over flows: Hovering over a flow shows the source, target, and value of the transition. The width of the flow represents the volume of people transitioning from one category to the next. Thicker flows show larger shifts between categories, indicating stronger relationships between risk factors and diabetes outcomes.

Categories Displayed:

• Dietary Risk
• Age Group
• Gender
• Time

Data Source:

Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021) Mortality and Life Expectancy Forecasts 2022-2050

Organization:

IHME