Articles | Doctors warn of diabetes timebomb

Doctors warn of diabetes timebomb

Published: Tuesday, 24 February 2009, 7:40AM

The number of people with diabetes has jumped 63 per cent in the last ten years, figures show.

Experts found that the number of men, women and children with Type 1 diabetes, which usually develops in childhood, and Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, rose dramatically between 1996 and 2005.

In the six year period between 1997 and 2003 the number of new cases leaped 74 per cent, and rose 63 per cent across the entire decade.

The research, led by experts from Spain and Sweden, was published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The findings suggest that the rate of diabetes in the UK is increasing faster than in the US, where prevalence of the disease is one of the highest in the world.

The experts said a rising tide of obesity in the UK was fuelling the increase in cases of diabetes.

For the study, UK patients aged between ten and 79 were identified using The Health Improvement Network.

The figures were based on new and existing cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, taken from information supplied by more than 300 GP surgeries.

Over the decade, 49,999 people who already had diabetes were added to the register as were 42,642 newly-diagnosed with the disease.

Of those newly diagnosed, 1,256 had Type 1 diabetes and 41 386 had Type 2.

The number of new cases of Type 1 diabetes remained fairly constant over the decade but the number of Type 2 cases rose 69 per cent, reflecting more overweight and obese people.

The authors wrote: "Sadly, the statistics are not surprising as we know that the soaring rates of Type 2 diabetes, are strongly linked to the country's expanding waistline.

"Research shows that losing weight can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 per cent.

"It is imperative that we raise awareness of the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if we want to make any headway in defusing the diabetes time bomb."