UK’s hidden diabetes crisis
At least 60,000 cases went undiagnosed over lockdown as GPs halted face-to-face appointments
ALMOST one in four new cases of diabetes went undiagnosed last year as the pandemic disrupted health services and GP appointments, a study suggests.
Researchers estimated around 60,000 diagnoses of type 2 diabetes were missed or delayed between March and December 2020.
They warned the true figure could be even higher, as lockdown weight-gain and lifestyle changes may have put more people at risk.
Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to control blood sugar levels. Usually, around 255,000 people are diagnosed annually.
Around 90 per cent of sufferers have type 2, which is often linked to obesity or lifestyle factors.
Researchers used data from more than 14 million people to compare trends during the pandemic with the past 10 years.
Study leader Dr Matthew Carr, of the University of Manchester, said:
“We estimate that, across the UK, the number of people with a missed or delayed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was 60,000 during 2020.
“We found significant reductions in patients with pre-existing diabetes getting the necessary care and medication to manage their condition.”
Risk
During April 2020, at the height of the first wave, the rate of new Type 2 diagnoses in England dropped by 70 per compared with expected rates.
Although figures improved in later months, they remained below average levels for most of the year.
Older people, men, and those from deprived areas were worst affected. Between March and
December, prescriptions for metformin and insulin – drugs used to treat the condition – were down 20 per cent and five per cent, respectively, at GPs in England.
Experts said the shift to more digital appointments to reduce risk of spreading coronavirus had played a role.
Dr Carr said: “Many aspects of diabetes care require direct contact and, as GPs were advised to minimise face-to-face consultations, the fall in diagnosing, monitoring, and prescribing are not surprising.
“However, the magnitude of the reductions is concerning.”
Dr Carr said the
NHS should be prepared for a backlog of patients
– some of whom will have seen their condition deteriorate.
He said: “Effective communications should ensure that patients remain engaged with diabetes services. There also needs to be a greater emphasis on educating patients and providing equipment for home monitoring and remote consultations.”
The findings were presented at the virtual Diabetes UK Professional Conference. Nikki Joule, policy manager at charity Diabetes UK, said: “It’s incredibly concerning that rates of type 2 diabetes diagnoses were much lower than previous years. “Early diagnosis is vital in reducing the risk of serious complications with the heart, kidneys and eyes.”
Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said the pandemic had disrupted care and monitor
ing for people struggling with their weight. He added: “The primary schools National Child Measurement Programme, which annually spotted increase in obesity figures, was shut down in June.
“Anecdotally, adults have also failed to attend surgeries for their weight because of lockdowns.
“With obesity being a major risk factor in triggering diabetes and other serious diseases, it is vital that measures to tackle obesity are stepped up. It is generally accepted that there will be further viral epidemics in the future..”
Another study presented at the conference suggested people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes were waiting on average more than two years to learn they have it.
Researchers at the University of Exeter analysed biobank data from 200,000 people without a diagnosis and found one per cent had average blood sugar levels above the threshold for the condition. Looking at GP records, they found participants typically waited 2.3 years following the blood test to receive a diagnosis. Almost a quarter had not been diagnosed five years later.
Women and people with a lower BMI were more likely to have their diagnosis delayed. An NHS spokesperson said: “We have continued to run our diabetes prevention programme over the pandemic.
“And we have put in extra measures for people with diabetes, including digital consultations and online support for people to manage their conditions.”
Meanwhile, another study could help doctors identify people with type 2 diabetes who are at higher risk of developing dementia. It found they had higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels up to 20 years before dementia diagnosis.
AS we emerge from lockdown and take stock, the non-Covid consequences of the pandemic are starting to take centre stage. And one depressing statistic is that one in four new cases of diabetes went undiagnosed last year.
Almost 5 million people have diabetes in the country and after a year of limited mobility, with obesity rates on the up, many more are expected to develop it.
An estimated 60,000 diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes – the variant linked to obesity or lifestyle factors – have been missed or delayed.Worryingly, the shift to digital appointments seems to have played a role.
We must fervently hope that as we begin to move around more, those at risk of this disease will take steps to prevent it.