The Truth About Diabetes

At Ayres Health in Congleton we often see people with Diabetes for foot screening or routine footcare. Type 2 Diabetes is becoming more common, so we decided to provide some facts and figures taken from the Diabetes UK Website. Some may find this uncomfortable reading, but many people don’t understand how serious this condition can be, so it is important to talk about it. This blog will be followed up by some foot related blogs and foot health tips for people who have diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in the person’s blood. This means the sugar builds up in the blood and can’t get into the body cells to be used as fuel. This can lead to sight loss, kidney failure, stroke, amputation, heart failure and death.

Blood sugar levels are controlled by insulin, produced in the pancreas. In Type 1 Diabetes, the body is unable to produce any insulin and people with this condition need to inject insulin or use an insulin pump.  In someone with Type 2 Diabetes, there is either not enough insulin, or the insulin isn’t working properly. People with Type 2 diabetes may be able to manage their condition by eating healthily, exercising regularly and losing weight if they need to. The longer someone has Type 2, the more likely they will need to take medication and may eventually need to take insulin.

Diabetes Facts & Figures

1. More people than ever before have diabetes or are at risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

2. If nothing changes, more than 5 million people in the UK will have diabetes before 2025. 

3. Every 2 minutes, someone is diagnosed with Diabetes.

4. Every week, 169 people have leg amputations due to Diabetes.

5. People with Diabetes are more than twice as likely to have Strokes, Heart Attacks and Heart Failure than those without Diabetes.

6. Sadly, every week more than 500 people with Diabetes die prematurely.

7. The number of people diagnosed with Diabetes has more than doubled in just 20 years. The main reason for this is the rise in obesity, which is a risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes.

8. Around 90% of people with Diabetes have Type 2 Diabetes. The risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes can be minimised by making lifestyle changes.

How can I reduce my risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes?

1. If you are overweight, try to lose weight

2. Eat a healthy balanced diet

3. Exercise for the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week and strength exercise on 2 days per week.

4. Stop smoking

5. Try to reduce stress levels and improve sleep patterns

6. Ask your local GP about health checks (available to 40 to 74 year olds) to identify risk factors.