One million adults in the UK have type 2 diabetes but don’t know it

One million adults in the UK are likely to have type 2 diabetes, but don’t know it yet, according to official figures.

This is about 30%, or just under a third, of people with this condition.

The country’s statistics show that young people with the disease, people in generally good health, and women with a low weight-to-height ratio are most likely to be undiagnosed. National Bureau of Statistics.

The data, released Monday, was collected between 2013 and 2019 and may have changed in that time.

During this period, a total of around 7% of adults in the UK were estimated to have diabetes.

What is diabetes?

People with diabetes don’t produce enough of a hormone called insulin or can’t use it effectively. Insulin helps move sugar from the blood to other cells in the body. Therefore, without it, blood sugar levels will rise.

Over time, diabetes can lead to serious complications such as eye disease, kidney disease, and heart disease.

Approximately 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This means their bodies cannot use insulin well.

The next most common form of diabetes is type 1 diabetes. This is an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys insulin-producing cells. People with type 1 lower their blood sugar levels by injecting insulin or using an insulin pump.

No one knows exactly what causes these forms of the disease. However, several factors can increase her chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors include family history, age, being overweight, and already having pre-diabetes, meaning elevated blood sugar levels that do not meet the threshold for diabetes.

Members of some ethnic groups are also at increased risk of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the UK, type 2 diabetes is usually treated with dietary changes, exercise, medication and sometimes insulin injections.

The country’s public health system is also being rolled out. intensive diet program It aims to put newly diagnosed patients into remission.

The figures also showed that around 5.1 million adults were more likely to have prediabetes, with the highest prevalence among those from black and Asian backgrounds.

These groups also had higher rates of undiagnosed diabetes than whites, people with mixed heritage, and other ethnic groups. However, the prevalence of their disease itself was similar.

Nikki Joule, policy manager at charity Diabetes UK stated in a statement It said the new figures show that “an alarming number of people” are living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, while “millions more are at high risk of developing it”. Ta.

She further added: “We are concerned about the prevalence of prediabetes and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in people of black and Asian descent, and the growing prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in young people. We are particularly concerned about the

“Detection and diagnosis as early as possible” is critical for type 2 diabetes, she says. With proper treatment and support from the beginning, patients can reduce their chances of developing “catastrophic complications.”