THE EPIDEMIC OF TYPE 2 DIABETES By Dr Julie Taylor Every two minutes, someone finds out they have Type 2 Diabetes. The number of people living with Type 2 Diabetes in the UK has doubled since 1996 and around 7% of the UK population has diabetes. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes usually starts in childhood or adolescence. These people cannot make any insulin themselves and their own immune system has attacked the cells in the pancreas that make it. They need insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes usually affects adults. These people produce insulin but it is not effective in the body (insulin resistance) and over time not enough is made.
If you are at increased risk, you may be eligible to join the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. If your blood sugar levels are over a certain level, your surgery will also do a blood test once per year to monitor this and to pick up diabetes early. How can I prevent Type 2 Diabetes? Diet is the most important part of lifestyle change. It is easier to lose weight on a good diet even if you are struggling to exercise, than it is by exercise if you eat a bad diet. Effective diets to prevent diabetes are those that reduce carbohydrate intake (bread, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes). Cutting out sugary food and drink and refined grains such as white bread is an important first step. Modern research has shown that fats in foods such as dairy are not as bad for us as we once thought. However, we should cut out processed food.
Exercise can also help to prevent diabetes. When we exercise, our muscles use excess sugar in the blood and sugar that is stored in the muscles and liver. The muscles gradually replenish their stores after exercise, lowering blood sugar levels. Exercise can also help to lower cholesterol and It is thought that type 2 Diabetes can go undetected blood pressure. for up to 10 years. This is a potentially serious health condition that can cause long term health Diet and exercise are also the two main changes problems. Diabetes is the leading cause of that people with diabetes can make to help blindness in working age people in the UK. About control their blood sugar levels. Your GP, practice 40% of people with Diabetes could develop kidney pharmacist or nurse may also prescribe medication disease with about 20% needing dialysis. Having to help, but the more you can do yourself, the less diabetes makes you at least twice as likely to have medication you may need to take. We do know a heart attack or a stroke and fifteen times more that diabetes can get worse over time, and that some people just can’t make the changes they likely to undergo amputations. need to. Your GP practice is there to support you The good news is that there are things you can do to change but also to provide medication when to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. the changes that you make are just not enough. And if you already have diabetes, there are things that you can do to reduce the risks of complications. For more information on managing or preventing type 2 diabetes go to https://diabetes.org.uk Am I at risk of developing diabetes? People from Black African, African Caribbean DR JULIE TAYLOR IS A GP PARTNER and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) backgrounds are at higher risk of developing Type AT THE ORCHARD PRACTICE 2 Diabetes. Other risk factors for developing Type DARTFORD, CLINICAL DIRECTOR 2 Diabetes are: OF DARTFORD MODEL PCN • Age • Weight and your waist size AND A BOARD MEMBER OF • Having a close relative with diabetes THE DARTFORD, SWANLEY AND You can check your risk of developing Type 2 GRAVESHAM INTEGRATED CARE diabetes at https://preventing-diabetes.co.uk/know-yourPARTNERSHIP. risk-dtc/ 38
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