One in five UK adults living with diabetes or pre-diabetes as diagnoses reach all-time high
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One in five UK adults are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes as diagnoses have reached an all-time high, new data shows.
Charity Diabetes UK called this a “hidden health crisis” and urged the government to act immediately. Some 4.6 million people are now diagnosed with the condition, compared to 4.4 million a year ago.
This includes about 8 per cent with type 1 diabetes, which happens when a person cannot produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body turn glucose into energy.
Some 90 per cent have type 2 diabetes, which happens when the body does not use insulin properly, while 2 per cent have different and rarer forms of the condition. A further 1.3 million are estimated to be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes UK estimated a further 6.3 million people are living with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, some of whom do not know they have the condition. More commonly known as pre-diabetes, the condition causes higher than normal blood sugars and if untreated can develop into type 2 diabetes.
The chief executive of the charity, Colette Marshall, said: “These latest figures highlight the hidden health crisis we’re facing in the UK and underline why the government must act now.
“There must be better care for the millions of people living with all types of diabetes, to support them to live well and fend off the risk of developing devastating complications.
“With more people developing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes at a younger age, it’s also critical that much more is done to find the missing millions who either have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes but are completely unaware of it. The sooner we can find and get them the care they need, the more harm we can prevent.”
An open letter to the government from the charity called for those who are living with undiagnosed diabetes to be urgently identified, along with more investment in prevention programmes which promote lifestyle changes.
Separate NHS data released late last year also showed that between 2016-2017 and 2022-2023, there was a 54 per cent increase in the number of people aged up to 25 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Dr Dulmini Kariyawasam, clinical lead for diabetes at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said the growing rate of type 2 diabetes among young people was “alarming”, particularly given the long-term harms it could have.
She said young people with type 2 diabetes were more likely to get cardiovascular disease and other complications, and research shows those aged under 40 have a significantly shorter life expectancy than their non-diabetic peers.
Younger people were also less likely to access adequate healthcare for their condition, she said, and in interviews with those patients, her team discovered they felt a “huge stigma” with their diagnosis.
“They felt that they’ve done it to themselves, or it’s their fault, so that makes them access healthcare less,” Dr Kariyawasam said.
The trust has launched a trial programme involving eligible young people from Lambeth and Southwark, providing services better tailored to the needs of under-25s with the help of the young people affected.
“For our local population, young type 2 [diabetes] is a really growing problem. So we wanted to look at how can we do things differently,” she said.
Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Trust, in collaboration with King’s College Hospital, set up two clinics specifically for young people, working with a varied team of health specialists.
Diet and exercise are also important parts of the programme, improving patients’ relationship with food, teaching them diabetes-friendly versions of their favourite cultural dishes, and helping them build exercise into their daily lives.
“One thing we’ve tried to do is not just manage diabetes, [but] actually instigate a lifestyle change,” Dr Kariyawasam said.
Daniel Akinmade was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was 15. While he said his initial treatment and education around his condition was helpful, he felt he was struggling so he joined the pilot programme last year.
“I didn’t really know all the best things for me,” he said, adding before joining the programme he was scared to check his sugar levels in public.
Mr Akinmade, now 20, has been able to take back control of his condition, to the point where he has gone from needing daily injections to having them weekly.
“Just having a group to talk to about my struggles and all the lessons that we did together helped me improve my diabetes massively,” he said.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It’s extremely concerning that there are high numbers of adults living with type 2 diabetes. That’s exactly why preventative action is crucial.
“As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to a shift from sickness to prevention to enable everyone to live a healthy life for longer.
“We are taking action to tackle type 2 diabetes-related lifestyle factors head-on, including restricting junk food advertising on TV and online.
“We are also developing a new digital NHS health check that people can use at home to understand their risk of diabetes and how to reduce it.”
