Senin, 11 Juni 2012

850,000 do not know they have diabetes

850,000 do not know they have diabetes

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 19:24 EST, 10 June 2012 | UPDATED: 04:25 EST, 11 June 2012

Almost one in 70 people are living with undiagnosed diabetes and are running the risk of 'devastating' complications

Almost one in 70 people are living with undiagnosed diabetes and are running the risk of 'devastating' complications

Around one in 70 people in Britain suffer from type 2 diabetes but do not realise it, a charity has warned.

Diabetes UK says 850,000 adults with diabetes have not been diagnosed and are missing out on health checks that could stop life-threatening complications.

This equates to one passenger on a full double-decker bus or more than 1,000 supporters at a packed Wembley Stadium.

The figures, released today to mark the start of Diabetes Week, suggest most people will have a friend or family member who has the condition but does not know it.

The soaring rate of type 2 diabetes â€" the kind that mostly affects middle-aged people â€" is being fuelled by obesity, say experts. It is also strongly linked to related factors such as leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating an unhealthy diet.

Nine out of ten people with diabetes have type 2. It occurs when the body gradually loses the ability to process blood sugar, leading to high levels that can damage the body’s organs.

Diabetes UK is urging people to find out if they are at high risk, because the longer the condition is left untreated, the greater the danger of devastating complications such as blindness, kidney failure, strokes and amputation.

Previous research suggests it can go undiagnosed for up to ten years and that 50 per cent already have signs of complications by the time they are diagnosed.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said 'When you consider the potentially devastating health consequences of Type 2 diabetes, it is shocking that so many people have the condition and do not know it.

'These figures show that every time we walk down our local high street, we are likely to be walking past people who have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes type 2 is most commonly caused by obesity but can also be an effect of leading an inactive lifestyle and eating an unhealthy diet

Diabetes type 2 is most commonly caused by obesity but can also be an effect of leading an inactive lifestyle and eating an unhealthy diet

'This is a real concern because it is only by getting the condition diagnosed early that people can start getting the treatment they need to prevent serious health complications, including blindness, amputation, kidney failure and stroke.

'Getting these people diagnosed is a race against time and unfortunately it is a race we are all too often losing.

'We are also encouraging people to talk to their friends and family about Type 2 diabetes.

' Making them aware that someone can have it for a number of years without realising it could be the vital first step towards someone being diagnosed and getting the healthcare that can give them the best chance of a long and healthy life.'

Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include being overweight, having a large waist and being physically inactive. Older people and people from a black or South Asian background are also at higher risk, as are people with a family history.

To help identify people who are at high risk, Diabetes UK and Bupa have launched a series of healthy lifestyle roadshows that will visit 50 locations over the next few months.

The roadshow teams will refer people who are at high risk to their GP for advice and support to treat it, or prevent its onset.

The series of roadshows is being launched today with an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the number of waists measured in eight hours.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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What is the point in knowing you have either type when you are told by your Dr, the diabetic nurse and the NHS NOT TO BOTHER monitoring your sugar levels...as my husband was told after he was diagnosed with type 2 last Oct...and they told him this was because the strips COST TOO MUCH...makes you wonder about the Diabetes UK Diet too, doesn't it...when we followed it, my husbands sugar went through the roof, he kept feeling very spacey and passing out, then when i did some of my OWN online research and decided to go BACK to an almost normal diet as before, he seems to be doing ok (for now)...it's an interesting sensation when you realize a loved one is part of the human cull that's going on to try and control the population...and that may sound paranoid but, thats the only conclusion i can come to when you look around and take all the facts into consideration(and seeing as how they won't or can't reasonably explain it, just proves it to me...now lets se e if this gets published)

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So where are these road shows and when? DM could have done much better by publishing a whole story, with advice and positive reinforcement, rather than just scare-mongering - cheap journalism...

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Spindles, are you overweight?" As I said in my previous message, at the time of diagnosis I was under 8 stone, I am now, 16 years later, just over 9 stone so hardly overweight. My father wasn't overweight and neither was my twin sister. I believe my father just had symptoms of thirst, like me. As for my sister, for about two years she had been having recurring thrush infections and was given creams and pessaries but nothing worked. As one of the symptoms of diabetes is thrush I tested her blood sugar and it was 9 so suggested a visit to the doctor who {finally) diagnosed diabetes. Her thrush cleared up in two weeks with a reduction in sugar and with medication. Anyone with diabetes will know that it's a delicate balancing act to keep the sugar levels "normal" and so many things can affect them, exercise, food, heat, cold, stress, other medication or illness to name just a few. It should be taken much more seriously than some people, including doctors, seem to do.

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Go to your GP don't make me laugh they are clueless ,Ignore the ignorance on here from some comments .Lifestyle plays a factor a big one but hereditary factors can also dictate your future.Get a bloodtest if your glucose level is over 7 after fasting all night you have a problem trust me.

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I should take my the Dr's Practice I use to court. 15 years ago I had a blood test for something unrelated to Diabetes. The Practice Nurse looked at my Blood Test results and asked if I was a Diabetic. I replied No. But I have just found out that my results (15 years ago) would have resulted in me being diagnosed as a Diabetic THEN. But she said nothing. No I suggest you see the Dr. No wonder millions of people dont know.

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Spindles, are you overweight?

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well if diabetes UK know that 850,000 of us have diabetes without knowing then why don't they write to them and let them know???

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Type TWO, is linked to obesity and usually controlled with diet and tablets. - Health guru, Manchester, 11/6/2012 9:01 Absolute rubbish. Get your facts right. Mine was hereditary. Nothing to do with weight.

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I had a blood test for my toenail fungus and my results showed up as borderline type 1 diabetes. My GP told me to ignore it.

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- Jane, Scotland, 11/6/2012 It VITAL that a diabetic knows that they are diabetic if they are to aviod kidney failure, nerve damage (which can lead to amputations) and blindness. All of these things can be avoided if you know about your condition and receive the appropraite treatment.

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