TWO million Brits are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next five years, experts are warning.
They say a national obesity crisis could see the number of people with the potentially life-threatening condition surge by 2025.
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It comes as the number of people with ‘pre-diabetes’, those on the brink of type 2 diabetes who need to take urgent action, has leapt from an average of 1.3million to almost two million in only a year.
And ‘alarming’ figures released by NHS England now show many more people in England have abnormally high blood sugar – which is likely to see them become diabetic too.
Diabetes UK recently revealed that people with Type 2 diabetes are 50 per cent more likely to die prematurely.
A common complication of diabetes that can lead to early death is heart disease.
People with type 2 diabetes are two to two-and-a-half times more likely to experience heart failure and twice more likely to have a heart attack compared to people without diabetes.
The number of people with pre-diabetes is huge
Professor Mike Lean, from the University of Glasgow
Professor Mike Lean, from the University of Glasgow, called the recent figures “a slippery slope”.
He told the MailOnline: “The number of people with pre-diabetes is huge and it is only getting bigger – these two million are the tip of the iceberg.
“As long as people remain overweight, and keep getting overweight, more and more people will become pre-diabetic and diabetic.
“We need to wise up, and those diagnosed as pre-diabetic have to knuckle down, knowing that if they stick to a stringent diet for several months, they could prevent themselves ever getting diabetes.”
With this in mind, here, we take you through the key seven signs to watch out for…
1. Peeing more than usual
Needing to go to the toilet more than usual is a common sign of the condition.
This is because after a long period, the pancreas – which produces the insulin – becomes so tired that it can no longer produce enough insulin.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of the disease – accounting for between 85 and 95 per cent of all cases, according to Diabetes UK.
It develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are unable to produce enough insulin.
It can also be triggered when the insulin that is produced doesn’t work properly.
Typically, people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes from the age of 40, but there are some exceptions.
In people from southern Asia the disease can appear as early as 25.
And the condition is becoming more prevalent in children, teenagers of all ethnicities.
Experts suggest the rising rates of type 2 diabetes is due to the obesity epidemic – a key cause of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be treated with drugs, and many people can reverse their condition by adopting a healthy lifestyle – a healthy diet and exercise.
High levels of blood sugar then get passed into the urine to try to excrete it from the body.
That’s why you need to pee more and it might smell slightly sweeter than usual.
2. Feeling thirsty all the time
High blood sugar levels can lead to dehydration.
A person with uncontrolled diabetes may experience polydipsia, a form of extreme thirst.
Diabetes can also prevent the body from absorbing water, creating a vicious cycle if the condition is not being managed correctly.
Polydipsia can leave a person feeling an overwhelming need for water, have a very dry mouth or feel dizzy.
3. Afternoon slump and tiredness
Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times.
Two common reasons for tiredness or lethargy are having too high or too low blood sugar levels.
In both cases, the tiredness is the result of having an imbalance between one’s level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin.
If you feel tired during the day, despite having slept well, it could be a result of either high or low sugar levels.
4. Losing weight without trying to
A decrease in body weight that occurs unintentionally can be a warning sign of diabetes.
In people with diabetes, insufficient insulin prevents the body from getting glucose from the blood into the body’s cells to use as energy.
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When this occurs, the body starts burning fat and muscle for energy, causing a reduction in overall body weight.
Unexpected weight loss is often noticed in people prior to a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes but it may also affect people with type 2 diabetes.
5. Genital itching or thrush
Type 2 diabetes can make it extremely itchy and uncomfortable around your penis or vagina.
In diabetes, blood glucose levels can go abnormally high, which can therefore provide ideal conditions for naturally present yeast to grow and also diminishes the body’s ability to fight infection.
Diabetes can also cause a higher glucose content in the urine – another extremely suitable place for yeast to thrive.
6. Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
Wounds or sores that take more than a few weeks to heal often indicate diabetes.
High levels of blood glucose caused by diabetes can, over time, affect the nerves (neuropathy) and lead to poor blood circulation.
This makes it hard for blood – needed for skin repair – to reach areas of the body affected by sores or wounds.
This can cause them to remain open and unhealed for months, increasing the risk of fungal infections, bacterial infections and gangrene.
7. Blurred vision
You may not know this, but type 2 diabetes can cause vision loss.
And according to experts, it is the leading cause of vision loss among adults aged 20 to 74.
If the disease is left uncontrolled it can alter the blood in the retinal blood vessels – the blood vessels in the eyes – which can cause them to leak.
If the blood vessels begin to leak it can cause a condition known as diabetic retinopathy, the most common cause of vision loss among sufferers.
Diabetes has also been linked to cataracts and glaucoma.
Diabetes UK have recommended using there Know Your Risk tool if you think you might be at risk of type 2 diabetes.
