4 Facts You Should Know This Diabetes Awareness Week & How to Minimise Your Risk
As always, this Diabetes Awareness week is an opportunity to spread awareness of diabetes by increasing understanding and reducing stigma of the disease.
4 facts about diabetes that you should know:
- 1 in 5 (4.8 million) people in the UK are living with diabetes. This includes 1 million people who are unaware that they have the condition.
- Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the most common forms of the condition. Both forms raise sugar levels in the blood, leading to potentially dangerous health consequences.
- The same healthy eating advice is given for everyone, regardless of a diabetic diagnoses.
- Anyone can be diagnosed with diabetes. There are several factors that increase your risk:
- Over 40 and white
- Over 25 and African-Caribbean, Black African or South Asian
- If you have a close family member with diabetes
- If you are of South Asian, African-Caribbean or Black African descent
- If you’ve ever had high blood pressure
- If you are overweight, especially if you are carrying excess weight around your middle
- Smoking
- Gestational diabetes
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Mental health conditions (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression)
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Poor sleep
Find out your personal risk of developing diabetes by clicking here.
Are you eligible for a free NHS Health Check?
Minimising your risk of diabetes:
The same advice is given to everyone regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with diabetes or not.
- Have regular blood sugar level checks to ensure stability, if necessary
- Eat a healthy and well-rounded diet
- Gain a thorough understanding of diabetic management to ensure your best chances of stabilising and diminishing the condition
- Retain a healthy body weight and do not carry excess body fat
- Exercise regularly – studies have also shown that weight loss and exercise could lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 58%.
