Eitt sindur um sukursjúkuna í Føroyum: A brief report on diabetes in the Faroe Islands

Abstract

The first known case of diabetes in The Faroe Islands was recorded in the year 1883; the next case in 1906. From thence onward to 1920 16 deaths were recorded. The author has been practitioner in the medical district of Eiði from june 1920 to june 1952 at which latter year there were 2300 inhabitants in the district, and before those 32 years only one person here, a woman, has suffered from diabetes; she died of this disease in 1914, 40 years of age. The next case occured in 1931 and from 1931 to 1952 17 persons were suffering from diabetes in the medical district of Eiði. Ten of those cases were still living in june 1952. If this disease had the same spread over all The Faroe Islands — and this is true — the 10 cases of Eiði medical district in 1952 would
answer to 140 diabetic patients in the Isles which is 4,4 pro mille. There is every reason to believe that this explosive growth of diabetes is due to a very profound change in the diet of the inhabitants during the past 150 years. In 1791—98 there were no potatoes in The Faroe Islands. The ration of bread was about 250 grams for an adult. In 1858—1860 ration of bread and potatoes for every inhabitant was respectively 220 and 144 grams. In 1935 the amounts were 343 and 389 grams, hereto must be added large quantities of other carbohydrates which can not be weighed or stated.