Analysis of the shocking figures also revealed there are hotspots for the disease, particularly in London and Lincolnshire, with the London borough of Newham having twice the national average of prescriptions.
Experts at Diabetes UK said that while it was good the disease was being diagnosed, people needed to “manage their condition better”.
The prescription data, examined by analysis experts EXASOL, detailed how on current trends, the numbers diagnosed with the condition is set to hit five million by 2020 - some five years earlier than previously thought.
Sean Jackson, chief marketing officer at EXASOL said: “Type-2 Diabetes is an enormous threat and by uncovering insights using big data shows the factual reality of the problem and steps can begin to be taken to reduce the threat.”
Experts warned that Britain is already sitting on a diabetes timebomb.
About four million people in the UK now have diabetes, with 90 per cent suffering from Type 2. Type 1 is an auto-immune disease which cannot currently be cured.
But Type 2 can be avoided by making lifestyle changes such as taking more exercise and eating a healthy diet.
An estimated 549,000 people also have Type 2 diabetes but are not aware of it.
The data examined in the new research stretched to more than 700 million rows on spreadsheets and included every prescription handed out by pharmacies in England from August 2010 to July 2016.
But a mapping of the figures revealed large variations across the country.
London boroughs had three of the highest prescribing areas - with Tower Hamlets and Harrow as well as Newham in the top 10.
There was also a hotspot in the East Midlands - with Lincolnshire having two of the top three highest prescribing areas - in East Lindsey and South Holland.
Krishna Sarda, from Diabetes UK, said both Lincolnshire and London had similarities in their populations.
“Lincolnshire is such a huge patch. It’s also got a very large migrant population and a very large working class population,” he said.
“In London and the East Midlands there is a very large BME (black and minority ethnic) population and ethnic minorities are between two to four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.”
He added that both areas have done a lot of work around prevention and raising awareness of the condition.
“One of the consequences of doing a lot of prevention and raising awareness is people go to their GPs to get a blood test done.
“So the greater the numbers in the population demographically - and the campaign work that’s happened in London and East Midlands - you’ll have more people coming into the register as being diagnosed with type 2.
“It’s a very positive thing that people are picking up in the media, our campaign and other campaigns going on.”
http://www.express.co.uk/
Graham
5 comments:
I think it is great that you are sharing this. People need to be aware of health issues.
My dad, who has Type 2, just found out that he needs insulin. I am trying to convince him to let me cook meals for him so he isnt tempted to eat cans of raviolis every day. :-( - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
I'm up to my ears right now in a family project so I'm going to have to come back to your blog. I really need to learn more about a low carb diet and how to keep diabetes under control.
You are quite right to draw attention to this problem. I keep hearing the same message online, TV and other media yet still people don't listen. Our "sweet tooth" is literally killing us yet people find it hard to give up sugary snacks and drinks and junk food.
Keep up the good eating messages Jan.
I convinced my mom who BTW didn't have a diabetes to avoid "health" carbohydrates by measuring her blood sugar in one hour after her meals. Looking at numbers is the best convincing tool. Check your dad's sugar after raviolis and after a normal LC meal. I support LC diabetics because I support diets as the main remedy for treating health issues, and it looks like that diabetics are just most noticeable part of population who suffer from abnormal blood sugar levels. There are a lot of people with a normal fasting blood sugar and even normal weight who suffer from modern deceases but continue to eat themselves into blood pressure, cancer, dementia.
Post a Comment