MORE people than ever are at risk of diabetes - and some may be developing it without a clue.
Charities have warned the UK is facing a diagnosis timebomb after many people missed vital GP appointments during the pandemic.
1
Already some 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have diabetes, of which there are various forms.
But of those, some 850,000 people are living with type 2 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed - a figure up 150,000 in the last year, according to Diabetes UK.
Staggering stats reveal people can live for up to 10 years with type 2 diabetes - the most common type - before being diagnosed.
On top of this, some 2.1 million people have a blood sugar level that is higher than normal, but not bad enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
This is called prediabetes, or borderline diabetes, and means a person is on track to get a diagnosis if they dont act fast.
There are likely to be many more who are not aware they are in this category.
A further 13.6 million people in the UK are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes - but many will not know.
These people are overweight - the key driver of type 2 diabetes. Having a family member with the disease or being African-Carribean are also example of risk factors.
These people can start making changes, such as eating healthier, to prevent a diagnosis as early as possible.
Meanwhile, the pandemic has had a huge impact on people already living with a diagnosis.
Diabetes is a complex disease to manage. But concerning figures show nearly 2.5million people already with the condition missed vital checks over Covid.
GPs have performed 41 per cent fewer health checks in the last year, analysis by Diabetes UK found in June.
The backlog could be putting sufferers at risk of Covid death, heart attacks and strokes among other complications.
The total number of cases of diabetes is expected to reach 5.5 million people by 2030.
Diabetes UK chief executive Chris Askew said: We're sitting on a diabetes timebomb. Missed appointments and missed or delayed diagnoses can devastate lives.
Prediabetes is a grey area.
It is when someones blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classed as diabetes.
In the UK, around 7 million people are estimated to have prediabetes, according to Diabetes.co.uk.
People often dont notice the symptoms and put them down to something else, such as their stress levels or their age
Experts say prediabetes is a critical stage in the development of the disease because this is when people still have the ability to slow down, or even halt, the condition.
But prediabetes has no symptoms, Dr Prash Vas, consultant in Diabetes at London Bridge Hospital, told The Telegraph.
He said: [Prediabetes] has no symptoms. As your blood sugar levels go higher, the body will mount symptoms.
Even this group of individuals can have complications, such as a three times higher risk of developing eye problems such as diabetic retinopathy. There is also an increased chance of developing kidney problems and early nerve damage.
According to Dan Howarth, head of care at Diabetes UK, symptoms of diabetes wont kick in till blood sugar levels are around 11mmol/L, even though anything above 7.8mmol/L after eating is considered too high.
Even then, people often dont notice the symptoms and put them down to something else, such as their stress levels or their age, Dr Howarth said.
If your doctor is concerned you have pre-diabetes they will usually do either a HbA1c test, a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, or an OGTT test.
The NHS says type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed following blood or urine tests for something else.
Symptoms of diabetes can go completely missed because people think they are caused by something else.
Or their symptoms dont necessarily make them feel unwell, so they are not even acknowledged.
The most common early signs of type 2 diabetes are frequent urination, extreme thirst, and persistent hunger.
You should visit your GP if you are:
There are other symptoms that may alert you to this disease.
These include:
Factors such as age, family history and ethnicity can increase a persons likelihood of having diabetes.
The condition usually develops slowly when someone is over the age of 40 years old.
However, the risk starts increasing from the age of 25 if you are African-Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian.
Generally studies have found that people of African-Caribbean, black African or south Asian descent are two to four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those from a white background.
Obesity is fuelling type 2 diabetes, accounting for 80 to 85 per cent of someones chances of developing the condition.
Just because you have one or more risk factors for diabetes, it doesnt mean you will get it.
However, its best to be wary so that you can prevent the condition now. Because the symptoms of type 2 diabetes are not always obvious, its really important to be aware of these risk factors, charities say.
Risk factors include if you:
You can take the "Know Your Risk" for type 2 diabetes quiz to find out your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
The rapid quiz asks about age, weight, if someone in the family has diabetes and if you have been told you have high blood pressure, for example.
It will then give a score between zero and 47 points.
The higher the risk level, the more likely it is that person will develop type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years. For example, one out of four people with high risk will get type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.
If someones score is moderate or high they can refer themselves to a local service for support remotely or online, without having to go through a healthcare professional.
Read the original post:
Do you have hidden diabetes? The 15 signs to watch out for... - The US Sun
- 1 woman thought she was destined for diabetes. This 1 realization helped her lose 70 pounds - Yahoo! Voices - March 29th, 2024
- Franciscan Health offering diabetes education at local churches - The Times of Northwest Indiana - March 29th, 2024
- For diabetes patients, needle-free insulin injections are on the way - ScienceBlog.com - March 29th, 2024
- Las Vegas nonprofit hosting health workshop specifically aimed at local Latinos - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas - March 29th, 2024
- How Often Do You Really Need to Check Your Blood Sugar Levels? - WSJ - The Wall Street Journal - March 29th, 2024
- Unintended Effects of Caps on Insulin Out-of-Pocket Costs - Managed Healthcare Executive - March 29th, 2024
- Study: Pompe treatment Nexviazyme isn't linked to new or worsening... - Pompe Disease News - March 29th, 2024
- A Smoker With New-Onset Pain in Both Feet - Medscape Reference - March 29th, 2024
- Pre-diabetes leads to Type 2 diabetes; Here's how to prevent and reverse it - WXII12 Winston-Salem - March 29th, 2024
- 'From Interpretation to Action': Using CGM to Manage T2D - Medscape - March 29th, 2024
- March: diabetes-kidney | News and features - University of Bristol - March 29th, 2024
- Health centers attempt to prevent diabetes - WTVM - March 29th, 2024
- Beyond Meat Unveils New and Expanded Line of Beyond Crumbles, Now Certified by the American Heart ... - Yahoo Finance - March 29th, 2024
- Beyond Meat Launches Revamped Plant-Based Crumbles, Earning American Heart and Diabetes Association ... - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine - March 29th, 2024
- Ypsomed hands off insulin pen needle business to focus on smart pump, autoinjector development - Fierce Biotech - March 29th, 2024
- Take the online diabetes test that could help save your life - NBC Connecticut - March 29th, 2024
- Study evaluates the use of tirzepatide in overweight/obese adults with type 1 diabetes - News-Medical.Net - March 29th, 2024
- Risk prediction using genes and gut bacteria can improve early detection of diseases like type 2 diabetes - Medical Xpress - March 29th, 2024
- On a Healthy Vegan Diet, I've Healed My Liver, Reversed Type 2 Diabetes, and Lost 35 Pounds - Forks Over Knives - March 29th, 2024
- Study Links Diet, Diabetes, and Alzheimers - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024
- Novo Nordisk Isn't in The "Magnificent Seven," but Here's Why I Think It Should Be - Yahoo Finance - March 18th, 2024
- Doctor warns of strange telltale sign of diabetes which can appear on the legs - The Mirror - March 18th, 2024
- Unraveling the complexities of muscle repair in diabetes: A call for targeted research and therapies - News-Medical.Net - March 18th, 2024
- Popular diabetes and weight loss drugs often hard to get for people who need them - NBC News - March 18th, 2024
- Your Health Matters: The ABCs of diabetes - The Globe | News, weather, sports from Worthington, Minnesota - The Globe - March 18th, 2024
- The Link Between Pancreatic Cancer and Diabetes - Cedars-Sinai - March 18th, 2024
- Nikita Kuzmin diabetes: what was he holding in the CBB house? - Cosmopolitan UK - March 18th, 2024
- FDA Approves Rezdiffra, the First Drug for Diabetes-Related Liver Disease - diaTribe Foundation - March 18th, 2024
- He took up running rather than take diabetes medication. It worked - South China Morning Post - March 18th, 2024
- Can Eating Yogurt Really Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes? - Health.com - March 18th, 2024
- Even short periods of diabetes remission are linked to lower risk of heart attack and stroke - The BMJ - March 18th, 2024
- Kidney stone risk factors and how type 2 diabetes medication may help - WECT - March 18th, 2024
- 'Making the Invisible Visible': CGMs Offer Insights for T2D - Medscape - March 18th, 2024
- Novo Nordisk Discontinues Insulin Medication After Cutting Its Price - The American Prospect - March 18th, 2024
- Infographic: Where GLP-1s Work Now -- and What's Coming - Medscape - March 18th, 2024
- Intermountain Health Experts Say Education Key to Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes | PRUnderground - PR Underground - March 18th, 2024
- International body recommends more sensitive test to indicate risk of developing diabetes - The Hindu - March 18th, 2024
- The importance of knowing your A1C level - KSAT San Antonio - March 18th, 2024
- Tandem Diabetes Care's t:slim X2 Insulin Pump is the First Automated Insulin Delivery System to Integrate with ... - Business Wire - January 9th, 2024
- Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage Occurring Suddenly in a Diabetic Patient With Asthma Exacerbation - Cureus - January 9th, 2024
- Virginia Tech researchers find drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes reduce alcohol cravings - WRIC ABC 8News - January 9th, 2024
- FDA looking into reports of hair loss, suicidal thoughts in people using popular drugs for diabetes and weight loss - CNN - January 9th, 2024
- Glycemic control and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease according to ... - Cardiovascular Diabetology - January 9th, 2024
- Insulin price cap: More Americans will now pay no more than $35 - USA TODAY - January 9th, 2024
- Eli Lilly cracks down on the use of weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound for cosmetic reasons instead of for diabetes and obesity - Fortune - January 9th, 2024
- No Increased Risk of Suicidal Ideation With GLP-1 Drugs - Medpage Today - January 9th, 2024
- Ask the Doctors | New research being conducted to treat diabetes - Eureka Times-Standard - January 9th, 2024
- Salivary Chloride Intracellular Channel 1 (CLIC1) as a Hub of Gene-Gene Interactome of Periodontitis With Diabetes ... - Cureus - January 9th, 2024
- Why Omada's CEO Thinks Amazon Selected His Startup as the 1st Partner for Its New Program - MedCity News - January 9th, 2024
- Researchers find drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity reduce alcohol cravings - Medical Xpress - January 9th, 2024
- Randomized open-label trial of semaglutide and dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes of different ... - Nature.com - January 9th, 2024
- CV Safety Profile of TheracosBio's BRENZAVVY (bexagliflozin) Confirmed in Research Published in Diabetes ... - Business Wire - January 9th, 2024
- 6 "Bad" Fruits You Should Be Eating When You Have Diabetes, According to Dietitians - EatingWell - January 9th, 2024
- Children of Women with Type 1 Diabetes Have Increased Heart Defect Risk - Inside Precision Medicine - January 9th, 2024
- Transforming Corporate Health: Fitterfly's Success in Tackling Diabetes and Weight Issues - Business Standard - January 9th, 2024
- Ozempic and weight loss | News and views - Diabetes UK - January 9th, 2024
- Drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes reduce alcohol cravings - ScienceBlog.com - January 9th, 2024
- People taking Wegovy and Ozempic have lower risk of suicidal thoughts vs. older drugs, study finds - ABC News - January 9th, 2024
- For Those With Diabetes On Medicare Part D, Insulin Is $35...If Its Covered - Forbes - October 27th, 2023
- Biologist Douglas Melton: I was studying frogs until my son was diagnosed with diabetes then I started looking for a cure - EL PAS USA - October 27th, 2023
- Diabetes and Hearing Loss with Concept by Iowa Hearing | Paid Content - Local 5 - weareiowa.com - May 9th, 2023
- COUNTY COLUMN: Learn to Live well with diabetes at The Well - Norman Transcript - May 1st, 2023
- Want to Cut Type 2 Diabetes Risk? This High-fat Food Can Be the Answer, According to New Study - Revyuh - May 1st, 2023
- Diabetes: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Types - March 13th, 2023
- A number of healthtech startups claim they can reverse Type 2 diabetes. But caveats apply, caution doctors - Economic Times - March 13th, 2023
- Tampa doctor who lost brother to diabetes calls insulin price cut a 'game changer' - ABC Action News Tampa Bay - March 5th, 2023
- New study suggest people previously infected with COVID-19 could have increased risk for diabetes - CBS Los Angeles - February 16th, 2023
- Diabetes Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment | ADA - October 15th, 2022
- A nutritionist with type 1 diabetes shares the top 5 'food swaps' she eats to manage her blood sugar - CNBC - October 15th, 2022
- Diabetes and the gut: How a bacterial protein may impact insulin - Medical News Today - October 15th, 2022
- Milton teen involved in launch of diabetes support program - Milton Daily Standard - October 15th, 2022
- Providers Now Have Free Access to Latest Diabetes Technology in One Place - PR Newswire - October 15th, 2022
- 5 Modifiable Factors in Women with History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus That Can Reduce the Risk of T2D - Pharmacy Times - October 15th, 2022
- BCMH the stoy of Diabetes and Determination - 921News - October 15th, 2022
- Can skipping a meal lead to diabetes and fat around abdomen? - The Indian Express - October 15th, 2022
- Type 2 Diabetes Drugs Market Research Report by Drug, Application, Distribution, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 -... - October 15th, 2022
- Diabetes: Symptoms, risks, and prevention - Wilmington News Journal, OH - July 17th, 2022
- Diabetes symptoms: The sign of nerve damage that often strikes at night - severe - Express - July 17th, 2022
- Local Teen Brings Smiles and Health Kits to Kids with Diabetes - River Journal Staff - July 17th, 2022
- Type 3 diabetes: symptoms, causes and treatments - Livescience.com - July 17th, 2022