Diabetes: find out more about the disease that causes 1.5 million deaths a year
20 June 2022
How many people do you know with diabetes? Chances are the answer is quite a few. Close to 5 million Britons are living with diabetes, according to the latest figures. And hundreds of thousands of people with the condition have yet to be diagnosed1. But while diabetes is deadly - World Health Organisation figures show it was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths in 2019 - millions of people with the condition live perfectly normal lives for decades after diagnosis2. Managing the disease effectively is key to living well with diabetes, which is why it's also crucial that it is caught early, before it starts having a negative impact on your health. So, with doctors speculating that more than 13 million Brits are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, it's worth finding out more about this increasingly common condition - whether for your own good or that of a loved one3. Here's what you need to know.
Know your numbers
Between 2000 and 2016, there was a 5% increase in the number of people dying prematurely (before 70 years of age) due to diabetes4.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic, or long-term, disease that occurs when your body is unable to produce sufficient or effectively use insulin, a hormone that comes from the pancreas and helps to regulate your blood sugar levels.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.
People with type 1 diabetes, which generally develops in childhood, are unable to produce the insulin their bodies need to function properly, meaning they need insulin injections every day for the rest of their lives.
Those with type 2 diabetes, which is mostly caused by excess body weight and physical inactivity, produce insulin naturally but are unable to put this insulin to good use.
Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, they can often manage their symptoms by making dietary changes and exercising more, although medication is required in some cases.
During pregnancy, some women also develop gestational diabetes that prevents their bodies using insulin efficiently and can increase the risk of complications during both the pregnancy and the birth.
Diabetes of this kind usually disappears when the pregnancy ends, but it can signal increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future for both the mothers and their children.
Did you know?
More than 95% of people living with diabetes have type 2 diabetes5.
What are the first signs of diabetes?
The main symptoms of diabetes are similar for type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. They include:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Feeling very tired
- Having to wee more often than usual (especially at night)
- Getting recurring yeast infections such as thrush
- Losing weight for no reason
- Having blurred vision
If you suddenly start experiencing these symptoms - or a child in your care complains of them - it's important to act quickly as type 1 diabetes can develop in a matter of days in some cases.
You should also see your GP if you notice some of these symptoms coming on over time; many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms are so general, but early diagnosis is one of the best ways to prevent the condition damaging your health long term.
A simple blood test is often all that is required to check the glucose levels in your blood and find out if you have diabetes or not.
Did you know?
Unexplained weight loss is one of the main symptoms of diabetes, even though the condition is often associated with being overweight.
What causes diabetes?
The amount of sugar, or glucose, in your blood is controlled by the insulin produced by cells in your pancreas.
When digested food enters your bloodstream, insulin moves the resulting glucose from your blood to your cells, where it's broken-down to produce energy.
However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to turn glucose into energy - either because there's not enough insulin or because the insulin produced does not work properly.
What does diabetes mean for your health?
Over time, diabetes can cause damage to vital organs such as your heart, as well as your blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
As a result, it dramatically increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke and is also one of the leading causes of kidney failure.
Other consequences of diabetes include being at greater risk of foot ulcers and infections, which can lead to amputation in severe cases.
Diabetic retinopathy can also cause blindness if damage to the small blood vessels in the retina is allowed to accumulate.
Under NHS guidelines, everyone aged 12 or over with diabetes should therefore be invited to have their eyes screened once a year.
Know your numbers
Globally, around 1 million people are blind due to being diabetic6.
How is diabetes treated?
Treatment of diabetes depends on the type of diabetes you have.
People with type 1 diabetes require insulin, while those with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes will often be encouraged to try to manage the disease with dietary and lifestyle changes at first.
However, in more severe cases, these types of diabetes can also be treated with oral medication and may even require insulin injections.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you may also be advised to attend regular screenings for:
- High blood pressure
- Blood sugar (glucose) levels
- Retinopathy (which causes blindness)
- Blood lipid levels
- Diabetes-related kidney disease
- Foot health
How can I avoid getting diabetes?
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes, as this condition is caused by your body naturally failing to produce insulin.
However, simple lifestyle changes have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. These include:
- Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight
- Being more physically active
- Eating a healthy diet that involves avoiding sugar and saturated fats
- Stopping smoking, as tobacco use increases the risk of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Are you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
You can see how likely you are to have or develop diabetes by taking the charity Diabetes UK's five-minute type 2 diabetes risk assessment test: https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/.