Diabetes UK
Hounslow Voluntary Group
Are You At Risk?
There are over 11,500 people in Hounslow who have been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated further 5,000 people who have it, but are unaware that they have it
Could you be one of them?
Diabetes is serious. If left untreated it can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and other life threatening complications. Many people with diabetes have had it for between 9 and 12 years before it is diagnosed. By this time many of these people will have started to develop some of the complications. But the good news is that if it is spotted early you can greatly reduce the risk of serious health problems.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly. Glucose provides the body with energy and is mainly obtained from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and from sugar and other sweet foods.
After eating, the level of glucose in the blood increases and the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin regulates your glucose level to prevent it becoming too high or too low. If you have diabetes the body either produces too little insulin or resists its effects. The body then uses other sources of energy and unused glucose builds up, which the body tries to remove by you passing water more frequently, causing thirst.
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2
Type 1 diabetes usually affects people under 40 if the body is unable to produce insulin. The symptoms are obvious and develop suddenly.
This type of diabetes is treated with insulin injections, diet and regular activity.
Over 4 out of 5 diabetics suffer from Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is usually found in white people over 40 years old and in black and Asian people and people in ethnic groups aged over 25 years.
The symptoms are less obvious and develop relatively slowly.
Some people may not notice any symptoms at all for many years.
This type of diabetes can often be treated by changing to a healthier balanced diet and physical activity alone, although most people will also need tablets and sometimes insulin injections.
Who is most at risk of developing diabetes?
Is this you?
Your age
You’re at risk of diabetes if you are white and over 40 years old,
or if you’re black, Asian or from a ethnic group and over 25 years old you’re over.
The risk also rises with age, so the older you get, the more at risk you are.
Your family
Having diabetes in your family puts you at risk.
The closer the relative is, the greater the risk. So if your mum or dad has diabetes, rather than your aunt or uncle, its more likely you will develop the condition too.
Ethnicity
African-Caribbean or South Asian people who live in the UK are at least five times more likely to have diabetes than the white population.
Your weight
Not all people with diabetes are over weight but the statistics show that over 80% of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.
The more overweight and the more inactive you are the greater your risk.
If you don’t know whether you’re overweight, ask your GP to measure your BMI.
Generally for women with a waist more than 31.5 inches (80cm).
For men, if you’re white or black with a waist more than 37inches (94cm);
or if you’re an Asian man 35inches (90cm) or more.
Other factors that put you more at risk
If you’ve been diagnosed with any problems with your circulation,
had a heart attack or stroke, or if you’ve got high blood pressure.
or either impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
(which means that the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood is higher than normal)
or raised triglycerides (a type of blood fat) or severe mental health problems.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are overweight are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. Pregnant women can develop a temporary type of diabetes – gestational diabetes. Having this or giving birth to a large baby can increase the risk of a woman going on to develop diabetes in the future.
The Symptoms of diabetes
The symptoms of untreated diabetes will usually be very obvious in people with Type 1 diabetes but not so clear or non-existent in people with Type 2 diabetes. If you’re older you may put the symptoms down to “getting on a bit”. Taking early action is key so if any of the following apply to you, ask your GP for a diabetes test:
- Increased thirst
- Going to the toilet all the time, especially at night
- Extreme tiredness
- Weight loss
- Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
- Slow healing of wounds
- Cramps at night
- Blurred vision
- Your hands of feet feel numb
The Complications
Diabetes is serious because it can lead to life threatening complications. These include:
- Blindness
- Kidney failure
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Coronary heart disease and stroke
- Nerve damage that can lead to amputations
But the good news is that you can reduce your risk of developing complications by getting diagnosed early and then controlling your diabetes. You can lead a full and healthy life with diabetes but the key is getting diagnosed as early as possible.
What to do next
If you think anything you’ve read applies to you, go to your GP and ask them to test you for diabetes. Diabetes is a serious condition that needs treatment. The sooner you act the better. If you think that you are one of the people most at risk of developing diabetes
How do I avoid or delay developing Diabetes?
You can avoid or delay developing Type 2 Diabetes by making changes to your lifestyle.
This involves healthy eating, maintaining a healthy weight and doing regular exercise
In order to do this you should:
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Cut down on eating sugar
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Switch to a low fat and high fibre diet
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Eat more pulses such as beans, lentils and peas
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Eat more fruit and vegetables
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Eat less salt
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Drink less alcohol
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Maintain your waist measurements
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Avoid periods of inactivity
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Do at least 30 minutes of routine exercise a day
