Plea to get checked for diabetes THE coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for us all, but it has been particularly challenging for people living with diabetes. New figures highlighted by Diabetes UK show that almost 2.5 million people with diabetes in England did not get all their recommended checks last year. These checks are essential to reducing the risk of serious complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney disease, amputations, and poor pregnancy outcomes. Coronavirus has also highlighted just how serious diabetes is as an underlying condition, with people with diabetes accounting for one in three deaths in England during the first wave of the pandemic.
CASES of diabetes in Dorset have soared, figures show - with obesity being the greatest risk of people developing the condition. Statistics from charity New Diabetes UK show diagnoses of the metabolic disease, a serious condition where blood glucose levels are too high, has increased in Dorset by nearly 2,000 - from 44,177 to 45,992 since last year. The charity’s figures show that over 4.9 million people are currently living with diabetes in the UK, with 90 per cent of those with type 2. However, research has shown that for some people, combined lifestyle interventions - including diet, physical activity and sustained weight loss - can be effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 50 per cent.