There are 7 million people in the UK at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Are you or someone elderly you care for one of them ?
You are more as risk of Type 2 diabetes if you are overweight and have a large waistline and people of Black African, Carribbean and South Asian origin are also at a higher risk.
Age plays a part also and you are more at risk at age 40 or 25 if you are South Asian.
Other risks include
- Having a parent or sibling with diabetes
- Having had high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke
- Having a mental illness for which you take medication
- For women, having polycysitic ovaries or a baby whose birth weight over 10 pounds.
How important is early diagnosis?
Early diagnosis is very important as even type 2 diabetes can cause the loss of sight, kidney function and may cause foot ulcers that result in amputation. Life style changes made early enough may help reduce the risk such as taking sufficient exercise and eating a healthy mixed diet full of fruit and veg and also reducing alcohol consumption and stopping smoking. If this doesn’t make life sound like so much fun, have a word with someone who has lost their leg as a result of this preventable disease.
How to lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping active.
As people grow older natural energy levels drop and so they take less exercise and also their diet may become less balanced.
Symptoms to look out for include
- increased thirst;
- frequent trips to the toilet, particularly at night;
- excessive tiredness
- weight loss
- blurred vision
- slow healing of cuts
- genital itching or frequent episodes of thrush.
Some people have no symptoms and so really it is advisable to have a blood test done by a Doctor or pharmacist. Many supermarkets offer an in house diabetes testing service for a nominal fee.
