Eczema Free Forever™ Eczema Free Forever™

Tag Archives: Diabetes

1 in 8 people will have type 2 diabetes by 2045

Posted on by

Concerning new research just presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Vienna indicates that almost one in eight people will have type 2 diabetes and that almost a quarter of people worldwide will be obese by 2045.

The study was presented by Dr Alan Moses of Novo Nordisk Research and contributors from University College London. You can read the full study here.

They predict a highly significant rise from 14% in 2017 to 22% in 2045 for obesity and a rise in diabetes from 9% to 12% in the same period.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that causes a person’s blood sugar to become too high.

Type 2 diabetes (which is the most common type of diabetes) is where the body does not produce enough insulin or is no longer able to react to insulin.

Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that controls the amount of sugar in your blood.

What is obesity?

Obesity is a definition of how overweight a person is. A person who is obese is someone who measures 30 – 39.9 on the BMI scale. Someone who is obese has a lot of excess fat.

An image of the BMI calculator which you can click on to take you to an external link for type 2 diabetes by 2045

How does this relate to pancreatic cancer?

Obesity and diabetes are well documented risk factors for pancreatic cancer. This means that if there is a significant rise in either of these two diseases we will likely see a rise in pancreatic cancer.

Recent studies have shown that risk is higher in people who are obese (have a Body Mass Index of more than 30). Some studies show that obese women who carry their weight on their stomach area are at an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

There have been a number of reports which suggest that diabetics have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

What can be done?

Dr Moses believes that is possible to turn this trend around “despite the challenge all countries are facing with obesity and diabetes, the tide can be turned – but it will take aggressive and coordinated action to reduce obesity and individual cities should play a key role in confronting the issues around obesity, some of which are common to them all and others that are unique to each of them.”

We all have our part to play by trying to live a healthy lifestyle. For help on losing weight, the NHS offer a free plan to help you lose weight please click here to see it.

The post 1 in 8 people will have type 2 diabetes by 2045 appeared first on talkhealth Blog.

talkhealth Blog

World Diabetes Day

Posted on by

There are two main types of diabetes with type 2 being the most common. In the last decade the number of obese people developing Type 2 diabetes has increased, despite the condition being preventable with a healthy diet and regular exercise. The high number of people with diabetes is almost costing the NHS £10 billion a year, with Type 2 diabetes costing £8.8 billion a year.

 

Diabetes is a serious disease and one that requires more awareness.

World Diabetes Day on the 14th November, is the world’s largest diabetes awareness day, created by the International Diabetes Federation and The World Health Organisation. The campaign aims to highlight the issues and growing concerns surrounding diabetes internationally.

This year’s theme is ‘Women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future’ it is estimated around one in ten women live with diabetes globally. However, not all women are aware that they may have diabetes. That is why campaigns like World Diabetes Day are important to increase awareness about diabetes.

If you’d like to find out more about diabetes, read one of our patient journeys on talkweight, talkwomenshealth and talkmenshealth for more information and support.

Are you living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes? Are you concerned that you may be at risk of developing diabetes later in life? talkhealth are developing a dedicated diabetes hub to offer support and advice to those who are living with diabetes , or think they may be at risk of developing the condition. Prior to the launch, we would like you to tell us about your experience and understanding of diabetes.

The survey will close on Friday 8th December. On closure all entrants who have completed the survey in its entirety will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win 1 of 100 pedometers!

talkhealth Blog

Type 2 diabetes costing NHS £8.8bn each year

Posted on by

It is estimated that 600,000 people in the UK have Type 2 diabetes but have yet to be diagnosed. Including the undiagnosed, that’s around 4 million people in the UK alone. And since 1996, the number of people with diabetes has doubled making this one of the fastest growing diseases. And yet for many it is completely preventable.

Lack of awareness and screening have been partly to blame. And that’s not just lack of awareness amongst the general public. GPs need to be more attentive to the risk factors amongst their patient population including signs of high blood pressure, patients who are overweight or obese, as well as being more aware of susceptible groups such as men, young people and those of minority race or ethnicity. It is clear that the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes is increased by being overweight. And the problem is being felt across the NHS with costs associated with diabetes care reaching a staggering £8.8bn every single year. This isn’t sustainable long-term.

1 in 4 people are totally unaware they have diabetes; there needs to be more education around the condition and the association of co-morbidity; complications such as foot amputation, kidney disease, stroke and heart attack are just a few.

NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK have launched the Healthier You: Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) designed to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in higher risk groups by offering dietary and exercise advise. UK  coverage, however isn’t likely for another 3 years, so clearly there is still a long way to go.

Diabetes is a serious condition and if it’s not diagnosed or poorly managed it can lead to significant health problems and ultimately death. Someone with diabetes is likely to have a reduced life expectancy too.

There are some symptoms to look out for, and anyone experiencing any of these should consult their GP:

  • feeling very thirsty
  • going to the toilet for a wee frequently especially at night
  • feeling very tired
  • loss of weight or muscle bulk
  • itching around the penis or vagina – frequent episodes of thrush
  • wounds, cuts and grazes healing slowly
  • blurred vision

For more information about all types of diabetes, take a look at the talkhealth Patient Journeys:

 

Diabetes Research

talkhealth will be launching a diabetes research survey to find out more from members and visitors about their experience of diabetes and knowledge around the condition. If you’d like to take part in this research, please comment below (we will post a link to the survey once it’s open) or email info@talkhealthpartnership.com

Sources:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/38-million-people-in-england-now-have-diabetes
https://www.physiciansweekly.com/assessing-gaps-in-diabetes-care 

talkhealth Blog