Important Diabetes Facts And Figures You Should Know

Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, is a serious condition where blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high, either because the body does not make enough insulin or can’t make any insulin at all. There are 2 main types of diabetes; Type 1 (or Insulin Dependent Diabetes) where the pancreas does not make any insulin at all, and Type 2 (or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes) where either the insulin made by the pancreas does not work effectively or not enough is made to control blood glucose levels. Other types include Gestational Diabetes which develops during pregnancy or more rare conditions like Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA).

     Glucose in the blood comes from our bodies breaking down what we eat and drink. If you don’t have diabetes, glucose will enter the cells and be used to produce energy. If you do have diabetes, glucose will stay in the blood and can cause serious damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes, and feet.

     Many leading Private Clinic London have seen a trend where more of their patients than ever are at risk of type 2 diabetes. In fact, experts predict that 5.5 million people will have diabetes in the UK by 2030.

Diabetes Facts And Figures

• More than 4.9 million people in the UK have diabetes.
• 13.6 million people are now at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in the UK.
• 850,000 people are currently living with type 2 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed.
• Combined lifestyle interventions including diet, physical activity, and sustained weight loss can be effective in reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes by about 50%.
• Around 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
• Around 8% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
• About 2% of people with diabetes have rarer types of diabetes.

Diabetes Risk Factors

     There are many diabetes risk factors that you should be aware of and if any of these apply to you, talk to your Private GP London about a diabetes screening test.

Risk Increases With Age- your risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes increases with age. You are even more at risk if you are white and over 40 or over 25 if you’re African-Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian.

Family History- experts say that you are 2 to 6 times more likely to get Type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother, sister, or child with diabetes.

Ethnicity– Type 2 diabetes is 2 to 4 times more likely in people of South Asian, African-Caribbean, or Black African descent.

High Blood Pressure- if you have ever had high blood pressure you are more at risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Overweight- if you are overweight, doctors say that you are more at risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially if that weight is around your middle.

Contact Northway Clinic

     To learn more important diabetes facts and figures you should know, contact Northway Clinic today and speak to a healthcare professional who can answer any questions you might have.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favourite social media sites.