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  |  General Health  |  Diseases and conditions  |  Diabetes: the facts and figures
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Diabetes: the facts and figures

by Dawn Gay
With 1.4 million sufferers in the UK, diabetes is on the increase, and many cases still remain undiagnosed. We take a closer look at the bare facts behind diabetes mellitus

The facts

  • Diabetes mellitus is a condition that occurs when someone has too much glucose in the body. Glucose is produced when carbohydrate foods, such as bread and potatoes, are digested. Symptoms include thirst, fatigue, blurred vision, weight loss and a need to urinate frequently.

  • The long-term health effects from diabetes can include heart attacks, strokes or blindness if not carefully treated and managed.

  • Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body can't produce insulin, the hormone made by the pancreas that helps glucose enter the body's cells for energy. Type 1 occurs when these insulin-producing cells have been destroyed. This can develop at a young age, and at a fast rate.

  • Type 2 diabetes occurs when there is a shortage of insulin in the body and mainly affects people over 40 years of age. It develops gradually and symptoms are not always obvious.

  • Men and women are equally likely to suffer from diabetes.

  • Being Asian or Afro-Caribbean, overweight, aged between 40 and 75 or having diabetes in the family can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

  • Eating sweets does NOT cause diabetes.

    The stats

  • 1.4 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes, that's about one in every 100 people. Diabetes UK estimates that for every person diagnosed with diabetes, there is likely to be one person that has gone undiagnosed. These incidences are expected to double by the year 2010.

  • Diabetes takes up nine per cent of the NHS budget - that's a huge £5.2 billion per year.

  • In the year 2000 there were 171 million people worldwide with diabetes, this figure is predicted to rise to 366 million in 2030, that is more than double.

  • Halle Berry, Elizabeth Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald, Mae West and Winnie Mandela are all famous female diabetes sufferers. Well known male sufferers include Sir Steven Redgrave, John Prescott, Chris Rea, Miles Davis and Neil Young.

  • The famous writer HG Wells founded the British Diabetes Association in 1934, which is now Diabetes UK. Welsh singer Sir Harry Secombe has been the president for 18 years.

    Diagnosis

  • According to a 2004 survey by Roche Diagnostics, 50 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed when under 20 years of age.

  • They also found that people are commonly diagnosed between the age of 45 and 54 years old.

  • More than half of these people felt depressed because of their diagnosis. Two out of three people with type 1 diabetes suffered from depression in the survey.
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    This iVillage Health service area is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If you are concerned about your health or that of a child, please consult your family's health provider immediately and do not wait for a response from our professionals. For the full Disclaimer, click here.
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