UK: many unaware they have diabetes

Number of undiagnosed twice previous estimates

Campaigners have warned that nearly 1 million people living in the United Kingdom are unaware that they have developed diabetes. Numbers of people diagnosed with the condition, which is often caused by lifestyle factors, is set to soar over the next few years as a programme of health screening gets under way in the NHS for people aged between 40 and 74.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the findings were ‘truly alarming’, particularly in light of the fact that ‘Avoidable in so many cases, the Type 2 diabetes epidemic is a clear example of where the new government’s rhetoric of tackling health problems through prevention must be turned into action.’ He warned that failure to take action and push preventative measures would result in a ‘bleak future’ for public health and incur great costs to the National Health Service.

Source: StaffNurse.com, 30 June 2010.

-