Almost one in 10 Britons will have diabetes by 2030

Diabetes UK say that the condition could affect 5.5 million people

Almost one in 10 people in the UK will have diabetes by 2030, with obesity fuelling a rise in cases, a charity has warned.

Some 5.5 million people are likely to be living with diabetes within the next decade, putting them at risk of “devastating complications” including heart attacks, kidney failure, stroke, amputation and blindness, Diabetes UK said.

Chris Askew, the charity’s chief executive, said the country is “at the tipping point of a public health emergency” and action is needed “to stop it in its tracks”.

Unless something is done to stem the rise in cases, Diabetes UK estimates there could be more than 87,000 hospital admissions a year in England by 2030 for the condition.

This would be an increase of 14% from 2020/21 and more than 50% higher than the figure for 2006/07.

The data is based on Public Health England and the Association of Public Health Observatories’ diabetes prevalence projection models.

Published: 06/10/2021 by Radio NewsHub