Diabetes is now a ‘rapidly escalating crisis’ in the UK as the number of people with the condition is said to have surpassed five million for the first time.
Health experts warn Britain’s obesity epidemic could fuel rising rates of diabetes, which is now alarmingly more common in people under 40.
According to the latest UK figures, nearly 4.3 million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22.
And another 850,000 people have diabetes and are completely unaware of it, which is concerning because untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to complications, including heart disease and stroke.
About 90 percent of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, which is related to obesity and usually diagnosed in middle age, rather than type 1 diabetes, a genetic condition usually diagnosed early in life.
Diabetes is now a ‘rapidly escalating crisis’ in the UK as the number of people with the condition is believed to have passed five million for the first time
Diabetes UK, which has raised the alarm with more than five million people now potentially living with diabetes, says it is concerned that the rising rate is caused by nearly two-thirds of UK adults being obese and overweight.
Chris Askew, CEO of Diabetes UK, said: ‘Diabetes is serious and any diagnosis is life-changing.
‘It’s a brutal condition and the fear of serious complications is a lifelong reality for millions of people in the UK.
“These latest numbers show that we are in the throes of a rapidly escalating diabetes crisis, with a growing number of people now living with type 2 diabetes and millions at high risk of developing the condition.”
The most recent figures analyzed by Diabetes UK show 4,264,477 cases of diabetes in the UK in 2021-22, an increase of almost 150,000 on the previous year.
About every hour someone with diabetes has a toe, foot or leg amputated, while 30 people a week in England suffer severe vision loss due to diabetes.
Each week, diabetes leads to more than 770 strokes, 590 heart attacks and 2,300 cases of heart failure.
More than 700 people a week die prematurely in England and Wales as a result of the condition.
Diabetes and its complications are estimated to cost the NHS £10 billion a year – around 10 per cent of the total budget – and one in six people in a hospital bed has diabetes.
Diabetes UK has particularly raised concerns about the number of people under 40 with type 2 diabetes, which has risen by 23 per cent in the five years to 2022.
The charity warns that by 2027, more than 200,000 people aged 18 to 39 could be living with the condition.
The NHS in England is currently testing a radical diet of soups and shakes, which cuts food intake to just 850 calories a day, and could help some people reverse type 2 diabetes.
But Diabetes UK also wants a strong commitment to diabetes in the government’s key disease strategy, including a continued focus on identifying people at high risk of type 2 diabetes and their referral to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which helps to reduce risk by adopting a healthier lifestyle.
It is estimated that over 2.4 million people in the UK are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Mr Askew said: ‘With the right care and support, cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or put into remission.
“What we need is the will, determination and determination of the government and local health leaders to end this crisis and improve the future health of our country for generations to come.”
The charity encourages people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, including having to urinate a lot, feeling thirsty, feeling more tired than usual and losing weight without trying.
There is a free, online Know Your Risk tool on the charity’s website.