Another five million adults are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, an official report warns today.
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The condition whereby blood sugar level is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes can lead to its development if left unattended.
PHE is now attempting to slash the number of cases of type II diabetes by more than a quarter through a new prevention programme, which strives to identify people at risk through a blood test and then offer support on leading healthier lifestyles.
Diabetes leads to 22,000 early deaths every year, PHE said.
Dr Michael Baker, deputy director of healthcare at PHE South East, admitted that losing weight, exercise and eating healthily may be hard but is key to winning the battle.
Aside from reducing incidences of Type 2 diabetes, the NHS DPP also aims to reduce the life-changing complications associated with the disease, like heart, stroke, kidney, eye and foot problems, and reduce costs to the NHS in the long term.
He promised to introduce a scheme that would “support people along the way” to help them protect their health. “Areas with high populations of older people, high proportions of black and Asian ethnic groups, or both, see higher rates of people with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia”.
According to the evidence review, programmes more aligned with the NICE guidance on preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes help people lose on average 3kg more weight and significantly reduce blood sugar levels. People who are overweight or obese are more likely to be pre-diabetic, as are those who eat a sugary diet, smoke, drink a lot and do not exercise much.
Experts also analysed data from 36 studies and found that people supported by diabetes prevention programmes lose, on average, 1.57kg more weight than those not on a dedicated programme.
A spokesperson for Live Well Suffolk said: “These figures demonstrate how important it is for people to make healthier lifestyle choices to reduce the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes”.
The highest-risk area is Harrow, north London, at 14 per cent, followed by Dorset, Wolverhampton and Torbay, where the risk is over 13 per cent.
“Unless we get better at preventing type 2 diabetes this figure will rise to unsustainable levels”.
NHS data show that one in ten people in the county are in danger of falling victim to the potentially deadly Type 2 diabetes.
The report comes as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) published new NHS guidelines on managing diabetes in adults and children.
It shows just over 11 percent of people in Hertfordshire, Luton, Central Bedford and Milton Keynes are at risk.
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Its recommendations include same-day referrals of children and young people with suspected Type 1 diabetes to a specialist team to confirm diagnosis and provide immediate care.
