90% of England’s Diabetes Cases Could Be Prevented

19 Sep 2016 --- New estimates have suggested that the total number of adults with diabetes in England is approximately 3.8 million, of which 90% of the cases are Type 2 diabetes, a disease which is largely preventable by changes to lifestyle and diet.

It’s now estimated that the NHS spends over £1.5m an hour treating the diabetes, and although family history, ethnicity and age can also increase risk, being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The new figures from the Diabetes Prevalence Model, produced by the Public Health England (PHE) and the National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network (NCVIN), reiterate that diabetes is an increasing burden of ill health, and underlines the need for urgent action to lessen the impact on individuals, as well as the health and social care system supporting them.

John Newton, Chief Knowledge Officer at PHE, said: “The number of people with diabetes has been steadily increasing and tackling it is fundamental to the sustainable future of the NHS. Diabetes can be an extremely serious disease for those that have it and treating it and its complications costs the NHS almost £10 billion a year. Developing Type 2 diabetes is not an inevitable part of aging, we have an opportunity through public health to reverse this trend and safeguard the health of the nation and the future of the NHS.”

The data also shows that the proportion of people who have diabetes increases with age. 9% of people aged 45 to 54 have diabetes, but for over 75s it is 23.8%. Diabetes at older ages has even bigger health implications, as people are more likely to be suffering from other diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases.

It’s also thought that of the 1 in 4 people in England with diabetes, an estimated 940,000 are unaware of their condition. 

Chris Askew, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said, “These new estimates clearly show the scale of diabetes and the huge impact on people living with the condition.”

Askew continued, “Too often they only find out they have the disease after they have developed serious complications, such as heart or kidney disease, or foot problems which can lead to amputations. Avoiding or delaying such devastating complications depends on people getting diagnosed earlier, so they get help and support to manage their condition well. We urge people over 40 to attend their NHS Health Check when invited.”

Actions have been put into place in attempt to curve the current diabetes epidemic. Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Program (NHS DPP) was launched by PHE, NHS England and Diabetes UK earlier this year, and is now available to nearly half the country, and will have full coverage across England by 2020.

Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Program Director, Jenifer Smith, explained, “Whilst the extent of the problem is greater than ever, the good news is that Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. Our prevention program puts people in control of their health by giving them the tools and information they need to make small changes to their lifestyles to significantly reduce their risk of the disease and the potential complications associated with it like stroke and kidney failure.”