One in 20 quizzed in diabetes survey had condition

MORE than one in 20 people who completed a questionnaire on Type 2 diabetes risk already had the condition, it has emerged.

A survey of 1000 people who filled in a Diabetes UK assessment found 6% said they went on to be diagnosed by a GP after being identified as at high risk of the condition.

The charity said the findings showed the potentially “life-changing” positive impact of undergoing a risk assessment, either through its online questionnaire or in pharmacy or GP surgery.

Risk factors include being over 40 or over 25 if from a South Asian, African Caribbean, or Chinese backg round, having a close relative with diabetes, being overweight or having a large waist.

In the UK there are 3.2 million people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. A further 630,000 are estimated to have Type 2 diabetes but are undiagnosed.

It is thought that up to seven million people are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes – and if current trends continue, an estimate five million people will have the condition by 2025.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “If left unchecked, Type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating health complications such as amputation, blindness and stroke.

“This is why it is so important that people with Type 2 are diagnosed as quickly as possible.

“At the moment, too many people with the condition are not being identified quickly enough.”