Changing life styles over the past 30 years have led to a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Atlas estimated that in 2007 Luxembourg had a 6.9% prevalence of type II diabetes in the population most at risk (ages 20-79; 344,000 people or 24,000 cases). However, because of the insidious onset of the disease it was likely that only 50% of the affected population had symptoms that resulted in a clinical diagnosis of diabetes. If life styles do not change, diabetes in Europe will increase by at least 20% by 2025. Diabetes represents a substantial burden on the health care system because of the complications associated with the disease. It was estimated that complications from diabetes cost the Luxembourg health system over 80 M € in 2007. Complications from diabetes are responsible for 11% of all deaths in Europe.

Luxembourg has a core of excellent scientists, both basic and clinical, with an interest in diabetes and in working together in a focused effort on finding prognostic and predictive biomarkers for diabetes. A goal of the PMC research team in diabetes is to find blood or urine biomarkers that aid clinicians in finding the most appropriate treatment for each patient.