‘Escalating crisis’ as more than five million have diabetes

The UK is in the grip of a “rapidly escalating diabetes crisis”, with the number of people living with diabetes topping five million for the first time, the charity Diabetes UK has warned.

A total of 4.3 million people were now living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK, it found. Registration figures for 2021-22 were up by 148,951 from 2020-21, and more than 2.4 million people are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the UK.

Approximately 90% of diagnoses are of type 2 diabetes and around 8% are type 1 diabetes, with the other forms of the condition making up the remaining 2%, the charity said.

It has estimated that there are an additional 850,000 people living with diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed, bringing the overall UK-wide figure beyond the five million mark.

The charity is calling on the government to ensure that national and local health systems put diabetes at the heart of their plans, that more people at risk of type 2 diabetes are identified, that health inequalities are reduced, and that more work is done to target communities where diabetes prevalence is high.

Without the right care and support, people with all types of diabetes can be at risk of developing serious complications. Every week, diabetes leads to 184 amputations, more than 770 strokes, 590 heart attacks and 2,300 cases of heart failure.

The charity has also warned that the high numbers of people overweight or living with obesity across the UK – currently 64% of adults in England – is translating into an increase in cases of type 2.

Factors such as income, education, housing, access to healthy food, as well as poorer access to healthcare, have also all been shown to be strongly linked to an increased risk of developing several health conditions – including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Alarmingly, type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common among those under the age of 40, Diabetes UK warned, and is more prevalent in areas where there are higher levels of deprivation.

Diabetes UK chief executive Chris Askew said: “These latest figures show we’re in the grip of a rapidly escalating diabetes crisis, with spiralling numbers of people now living with type 2 diabetes and millions at high risk of developing the condition.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right care and support, cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or put into remission. What we need to see is the will, grit and determination from government and local health leaders to halt this crisis in its tracks and improve the future health of our nation for generations to come,” he added.