Cases of diabetes in UK top 5 million
The number of cases of diabetes in the UK has topped five million for the first time amid rising levels of obesity.
Diabetes UK said that the nation is in a ‘rapidly escalating diabetes crisis’ as the figure reached an all-time high.
It said that almost 4.3 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 850,000 are living with the condition but have not yet been formally diagnosed.
The charity has also estimated that more than 2.4 million people are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the UK.
Around nine in 10 cases of diabetes are type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to being overweight or inactive.
The condition causes the level of sugar in the blood to become too high.
Diabetes UK said that it is worried that the high numbers of people who are overweight or obese - around 64% of adults in England - is translating into an increase in type 2 cases.
The charity said that the condition is becoming increasingly common among those under the age of 40 and more prevalent in areas where there are higher levels of deprivation.
It said the risk factors of type 2 diabetes are ‘multiple and complex’ and include age, family history, ethnicity, as well as being overweight or obese.
The charity has called for the Government to make diabetes‘ central’ to its forthcoming major conditions strategy to help prevent cases and support people at high risk of disease.
Without proper care and support, people with diabetes can suffer serious side effects including sight loss, amputations, strokes, heart attacks and heart failure.