UK Facing An Increase Of Diabetes From 1.8 to 3 million in 5 Years

By the end of the decade it is estimated the total could pass three million. THREE million people in the UK could have diabetes by 2010, a report revealed today.

Charity Diabetes UK said there were currently 1.8 million people suffering from the condition – up by 400,000 in just eight years. Experts fear the number will surge further in coming years as the population becomes older and fatter.

By the end of the decade it is estimated the total could pass three million. Campaigners called for early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes to help avoid devastating consequences such as heart disease and kidney and sight problems.

The report – Diabetes in the UK 2004 – revealed that 1.8 million people in the UK now had either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes – three per cent of the population. Almost 250,000 were said to have Type 1 diabetes, while more than 1.5 million had Type 2.

Experts also estimate that there are up to a million people who have Type 2 diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed.

A major risk factor for Type 2, sometimes referred to as adult-onset diabetes, is being overweight or obese. The number of people with Type 2 has increased in line with large rises in obesity in the UK.

Diabetes UK said that five per cent of the NHS budget – around £10 million a day – was currently spent on treating the condition and its effects. NHS spending on diabetes was predicted to rise to ten per cent by 2011.

The report said: “The costs to people’s quality of life, the economy, society and the NHS are already high.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “The number of people with diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. The challenge now is to ensure that all people with diabetes are diagnosed early and treated effectively.

“Many of the worst effects of diabetes can be avoided. We cannot afford to wait until people have heart attacks or have problems with their sight before they get the care they need.”

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FACT:
WHO’s study says that by the year 2020, India would be the `World Diabetes Capital”