One in three adults on the diabetes borderline

A recent study says that more than one in three adults are at risk of developing diabetes as levels of obesity is soaring high.

15:26 10 June 2014

A new study published in British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open has revealed that more than one in three adults in the United Kingdom are at risk of developing diabetes. 

 

The study, which examined the blood samples from more than 2,000 adults over an eight year period, said that 35.3per cent of the participants have alarmingly high blood sugar levels. This number suggests that around 15 million adults are now on the diabetes borderline while another 4 million people are already suffering from the disease. 

 

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Unless we make people aware of their risk of Type 2 diabetes and support them in changing their lifestyles, we could see an even greater increase in the number of people with the condition than we are already expecting.

 

“A tenth of the NHS budget is already being spent on diabetes and unless we get much better at preventing type 2 diabetes this spending will soon rise to unsustainable levels.”

 

Meanwhile, England’s Chief Medical Officer warned that obesity - the leading cause of type 2 diabetes – is now causing one in 10 deaths in England and Wales.