A report from the NHS shows that hundreds and thousands of people with diabetes, including young people, could face complications and substantial hospital care in the future.
Around 800,000 people have dangerously high blood sugar levels which could lead to serious problems, including kidney failure, limb amputation and stroke, according to the National Diabetes Audit 2010 for England and Wales.
The report warned that the number of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes cases is on the rise, with many of those affected being young and middle aged.
Almost 300,000 children and under-54s with diabetes have blood sugar levels so elevated as to put them at high risk of complications.
Children and younger adults with diabetes are also much more likely to be obese than older patients, causing further health risks, the report noted.
Around 2.5 million people in the UK are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and up to a million more are thought to have the condition without knowing it.
The increase in cases of type 2, which is linked to obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, is particularly marked in deprived areas.
A further 300,000 people have type 1 diabetes, which usually develops in childhood.
Bob Young, the lead clinician on the audit, said the results should “ring alarm bells”.
“They show that younger people make up a quarter of all those with diabetes yet have the highest risks of potentially preventable complications,” he said.
“If these risks could be reduced, much future disability and shortened life expectancy could be prevented.”
The research also found that nearly half of patients were not getting the basic checks needed to control their blood sugar levels. Patients under 54 were less likely than those aged 55 to 69 to receive the checks.
The audit, which includes data for more than 80 percent of diagnosed diabetics in England, also identified big variations in the types of treatments offered by hospitals.
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “This highlights the need for urgent action to ensure that people with diabetes start to receive all the basic care processes, otherwise there will be more amputations, more people going blind and more cases of kidney failure, heart disease and stroke.”
The audit comes after media reported last week that an extreme low-calorie diet could offer a “cure” for type 2 diabetes, according to a medical study.
But the NHS warned against exaggerating the significance of the findings, which it said were based on a preliminary study in only 11 obese people, adding that “much further research is required”.
London, 29 June, 2011 (AFP)
