The study found that 9.2 percent of Taiwan's population was affected by the disease in 2008, up 2.7 percentage points from 2002, when the prevalence rate was 6.5 percent.

The disease was more common among men than among women, with the prevalence rate among men reaching 11.1 percent in 2008, up from 7.5 percent in 2002 and 5.4 percent for the 1993-1996 period, the results show.

The highest prevalence was found among men aged 65 and older -- registering 28.5 percent in 2008, a sharp rise from 17.6 percent in 2002 and 13.1 percent for the 1993-1996 period.

Chang Hsin-yi, an associate research fellow at the NHRI's Institute of Population Health Sciences, noted that the prevalence of diabetes tends to increase with age, which is true for both men and women.

According to Chang, diabetes-related treatment now claims the fifth-largest share of National Health Insurance expenditure and was the fourth-most common cause of death in Taiwan in 2007, indicating that the disease is becoming an urgent health concern.

The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, advised the public to get regular health check-ups to facilitate early diagnosis.

To prevent the disease, people should adopt a diet with a high proportion of vegetables and whole grains and control their weight within ideal limits, the DOH said.