Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
It’s time to get serious
There are two main types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is far more common than Type 1. In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have Type 2 and is one of the biggest healthcare challenges of our time.
Every two minutes someone finds out that they have type 2 diabetes. If current trends persist, 1 in 10 people will develop type 2 diabetes by 2030.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce doesn’t work properly (insulin resistance). It can be a combination of both.
Diabetes can cause serious long-term health problems. It’s a leading cause of vision loss in people of working age. It’s also responsible for most cases of kidney failure, nerve damage and foot problems or lower limb amputation (other than accidents). People with diabetes are also at least twice as likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than those without diabetes. Furthermore, the risk of COVID-19 related in-hospital death is doubled by Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is found in nearly one third of people who die with COVID-19.
It’s therefore essential to be diagnosed as early as possible because Type 2 diabetes is likely to get worse if left untreated. Early diagnosis and treatment may also reduce the risk of developing complications later on.
What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
You could be more at risk than you think
Anyone can develop Type 2 diabetes, but certain factors can increase your risk.
Type 2 diabetes risk factors:
- Your age. The older you are, the greater your risk is likely to be. However, those from the ethnic groups outlined below tend to be at risk at a younger age.
- Your family history. You’re two to six times more likely to get Type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother, sister or child with Type 2 diabetes.
- Your ethnicity. You’re more likely to get Type 2 diabetes if you’re over 25 and from a Chinese, South Asian, Black Caribbean or Black African ethnic background.
- Your weight. You are more at risk of Type 2 diabetes if you carry excess weight or have obesity.
- Your blood pressure. You’re more at risk if you’ve ever had high blood pressure
You’re also more at risk if:
- You’ve ever had a heart attack or stroke.
- You’ve ever had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression, or if you are receiving treatment with anti-psychotic medication.
- You’re a woman who’s had polycystic ovarian syndrome, gestational diabetes, or a baby weighing over 10 pounds.
You can’t change some of these risk factors. But others you can.
What Can I Do?
It’s very important that you find out if you are at high risk of Type 2 diabetes so you can get support to lower your risk. You may even be eligible for a free local Diabetes Prevention Programme.
The first thing you need to do is to find out if you are at risk of developing the condition. You can do this by using the Diabetes UK risk tool. The tool will take a few minutes and could be the most important thing you do today. You’ll be asked a series of questions to identify if you are at a low, moderate or high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Make sure to have a tape measure handy as you’ll need to measure your waist.
If someone is at moderate to high risk, the tool will advise them to contact their GP practice for a blood test. If their blood sugar levels show they’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (called pre-diabetes or non-diabetic hyperglycaemia), then they may be eligible for referral to their local Diabetes Prevention Service.
Check your risk on the link below. It could be the most important thing you do today.
Do it for yourself and also do it for the people who care about you.
Making changes now can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
What support is available?
We know it can be tough to make lifestyle changes but with the right help it is possible to make the simple changes that can significantly reduce your risk.
There are a range of local services designed to help you. The main three are The Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, Desmond Diabetes Prevention and Healthy living for people with type 2 diabetes
Please take a look below to read more about these services and how they can best help you.
Healthier You Diabetes Prevention Programme
Type 2 diabetes
Get with the programme
The Department of Health & Social Care have partnered with NHS England and Diabetes UK to offer a free local programme on eating healthily, managing weight and being more active.
If you are found to be at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes you may be eligible for your free local service, which will provide valuable support to help you put your health back in your hands and reduce your risk of developing it.
The Healthier You Diabetes Prevention Programme is an evidence-based sustained lifestyle change programme which helps people at risk of type 2 diabetes to reduce their risk through managing their weight, eating more healthily and being more physically active. 1.5 million people have been referred onto the programme so far.
This service is here to support you on your journey back to a Healthier You. To help you keep focused and motivated on your goals, you’ll have access to trained health coaches, and you’ll be able to meet other people in your area who are also trying to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes. Although the programme is normally delivered in groups at different times and locations, right now it’s offered over telephone or group video conference, or online through apps and websites.
Research shows the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme has reduced new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in England, saving thousands of people from the potentially serious consequences of the condition. It cuts the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% for people completing the programme.
Eligible people can be referred to the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme via their GP practice.
Who is eligible for the Healthier You programme?
- Individuals aged 18 years or over.
- Individuals who have ‘non-diabetic hyperglycaemia’ (NDH) within the 12 months prior to the date of referral.
- Individuals who have a previous history of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and are not known to have subsequently developed type 2 diabetes (although no blood test is required on referral). Individuals with a history of GDM have the additional option of self-referral. If they have current GDM (i.e. are currently pregnant), they can only start the programme post-pregnancy.
If you have a history of Gestational Diabetes, which is high blood sugar during pregnancy, you could even self-refer to this service by following the link below.
For more information about the Healthier You Diabetes Prevention Programme please visit the website below.
Healthy living for people with type 2 diabetes
Healthy living is a free online service designed to provide advice and information to people living with type 2 diabetes, to help them better manage their condition. The programme is user-led and offers an alternative means of accessing support to the more traditional, group-based structured education programmes.
Originally developed by University College London (UCL), Healthy living provides information about type 2 diabetes and its treatments, offers advice on emotional wellbeing, and helps with adopting and maintaining healthy behaviours.
The programme has a strong evidence base proving its effectiveness. A randomised control trial (RCT), funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), demonstrated modest but significant improvements in HbA1c levels amongst the group using Healthy living. In addition to this, the UCL team also designed an implementation study demonstrating the feasibility of rolling Healthy living out at scale.
The service is available now across England and is accepting self-referrals. For more information take a look at their leaflet or to register now check out the links below.
Desmond
Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes may be referred by their GP surgery to the DESMOND service. DESMOND is the collaborative name for a family of group self-management education modules, toolkits and care pathways for people with, or at risk of, Type 2 diabetes. It is geared towards providing information and support to help manage diabetes and the changes that it will bring to the patient’s life. It also allows patient’s the opportunity to meet and share their experiences with others.
For more information, please visit their website or take a look at the following video.
For More useful Information Please take a look at the links below.
