Diabetes: It's not too late to take control

Each year diabetes is responsible for 24,000 premature deaths in England and Wales¹  yet many of those at risk of developing the condition are in denial. Even when they have one or more of the recognisable symptoms, they do not take these seriously and fail to mention them to their doctor.

People’s inaction puts their long term health in jeopardy, because if left untreated diabetes can dramatically increase their chances of developing heart disease, suffering a stroke or going blind.²  It is also the primary trigger for lower limb amputation.³ 

But new research⁴ commissioned by the Simplyhealth Advisory Research Panel (ShARP) with 2,000 Britons, aged 18-70, found that more than 60% of the respondents were unconcerned about the possibility of developing blood sugar problems such as Type 2 diabetes with 40% admitting they knew very little about the condition. Worryingly almost half - 49% - were already displaying one or more of the symptoms and one in three had a waist measurement that put them at increased risk.

^{[1] https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Diabetes%20UK%20Cost%20of%20Diabetes%20Report.pdf
[2] https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Diabetes%20UK%20Cost%20of%20Diabetes%20Report.pdf
[3] https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Diabetes%20UK%20Cost%20of%20Diabetes%20Report.pdf
[4] One Poll, May 2014}