BRITAIN’S DIABETES EXPLOSION
Unhealthy lifestyles to trigger huge rise in heart attacks and strokes
BRITAIN’S diabetes epidemic is set to claim tens of thousands more lives every year, a report warns today.
Soaring rates of the condition will trigger 400,000 cases of heart disease annually in the UK by 2035 – almost 30 per cent more than currently, it predicts.
The British Heart Foundation study said instances of heart failure, angina, heart attacks and strokes will all leap due to the rise of Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to unhealthy lifestyles. While the charity did not say how many of these would result in death, figures show that half of strokes are fatal and a third of patients with heart failure die within a year.
Last night, NHS England said the projections were ‘concerning’ and it was ramping up prevention efforts for those ‘ at risk’. The stark warning follows reports that
children as young as nine in Britain are now being treated for Type 2 diabetes as a consequence of the obesity crisis.
The number with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes – which is generally associated with poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle – has doubled to nearly 4million in the UK in last 20 years. It is considered to be the fastest growing health crisis of its time.
Health professionals expect the number of sufferers to reach 5million by 2035, costing the NHS almost £17billion a year.
Today’s report lays bare the consequences of this epidemic.
It says that in total, diabetes will cause more than 380,000 cases of heart disease annually by 2035 – nearly a third more than the 290,000 a year cases now.
The report says that by 2035, 39,000 heart attacks a year will be attributable to diabetes – a rise of 9,000 on the level now.
More than 50,000 strokes a year will be caused by the condition in 2035 – 11,000 more than the current annual level.
Cases of diabetes-linked heart failure – when damaged or weakened heart muscles struggle to pump blood properly around the body – will reach almost 147,000 annually by 2035, the analysis shows. That is 33,000 higher than now.
Meanwhile the number of angina cases attributable to diabetes will increase from around 112,000 a year now to 144,000 a year by 2035, a rise of 32,000 cases.
Overall, it means up to a third of all cases of heart disease in the UK will be linked to diabetes. All of this is likely to put an unprecedented burden on the NHS, with estimates suggesting the annual cost of treating patients with diabetes will be £16.9billion by 2035, up from £9.8billion in 2012.
Simon Gillespie, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Today’s figures point to an extremely worrying trend. People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases and the expected surge in Type 2 diabetes cases by 2035 could put thousands more people at risk of a deadly heart attack or stroke.’
The latest figures show the number diagdiabetes nosed with diabetes has risen by almost 100,000 in the last year alone from 3,590,501 to 3,689,509. But the true total for those living with the disease is estimated to be far higher with many unaware they have it.
While Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which occurs if the body stops producing insulin, Type 2 is caused by a fatty build up around the muscle and liver cells. Type 2 accounts for 90 per cent of cases and is largely preventable through diet and exercise. Those with are up to four times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, heaping strain on the health service.
Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for Diabetes and Obesity at NHS England, said: ‘These projections are concerning, and underscore why we have been working hard to ensure England is the first country in the world to achieve full national coverage with an evidence-based Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Programme, for those at high risk of the disease.’
The dire forecast comes days after doctors warned they were increasingly treating children for the disease.
Statistics from the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health’s latest National Paediatric Diabetes Audit, show more than 650 children under 17 were treated for the disease in 2016/17.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘This research underlines the severity of the UK’s obesity epidemic which over the last 20 years has largely been ignored by successive governments.
‘Though the majority of people must now be aware that excessive weight can trigger Type 2 diabetes few are warned that diabetes itself can trigger other equally serious diseases.’ In June, the Government published a new childhood obesity strategy which called for compulsory calorie labelling on menus and a ban on discounted junk food.
But campaigners said it didn’t go far enough – they want ministers to impose compulsory targets on the food industry to cut levels of sugar and fat and reduce portion sizes.
Dr Jenny Harries, of Public Health England, said: ‘Everyone can make important lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. These include losing weight, quitting smoking, exercising regularly and cutting back on alcohol.’