Diabetes
This difficult-to-manage disease is now occurring with alarming frequency, affecting Britons at a younger age and certain ethnic groups in particular. Many who have the disease do not know it, and there is concern about the complications that can develop.
The current view from the UK National Screening Committee is that there is no justification for population screening for diabetes in the United Kingdom. However, there is some support for screening and intense treatment in population sub-groups in whom undiagnosed diabetes and coronary heart disease are especially prevalent. In individuals opportunistically identified as being at high risk of heart disease, additional testing for hyperglycaemia may be of benefit.Although the microvascular complications of diabetes are of public health importance, an appropriate strategy is to optimise management of blood pressure and hyperglycaemia in people with known diabetes and to ensure universal screening for eye disease and prompt treatment. It is unclear whether screening for diabetes would significantly improve outcomes.
Obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, inactivity, and a family history of diabetes are some of the factors that increase your risk. Some ethnic groups, particularly South Asians and Afro-Caribbeans have a higher have a higher prevalence of the condition.
For further information see the
Diabetes UK website.
