There is a widespread ignorance of diabetes and its impact among the public in the UK, according to a survey published by the charity Diabetes UK.
The report, "Diabetes in the UK - the missing million", estimates that there may be one million people in the UK with undiagnosed diabetes. People have type 2 diabetes for an average of seven years before it is diagnosed, in which time half will develop early signs of complications. Diabetes UK launched a "Missing million" campaign on May 29. The campaign aims to highlight the seriousness of diabetes and the impact that a lack of effective treatment can have.
Understanding of diabetes is poor, the report concludes. Four out of five people believed the "myth" that some people got a milder form of diabetes than others. Many people were not aware of the long-term complications of diabetes; for example, only one quarter of the public knew that diabetes could lead to heart disease.
Diabetes UK says that risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include age over 40, obesity, family history of diabetes, and Asian or African-Caribbean origin. In the survey, 76 per cent of those in high risk groups were unaware of their risk of developing diabetes. The charity adds that the majority of undiagnosed cases of diabetes are in older people who often put the symptoms of type 2 diabetes down to getting older. Such symptoms include passing urine more frequently, tiredness, blurred vision, increased thirst, genital itching and weight loss.
Data were obtained from a MORI-conducted survey of 2,135 adults in the UK. The report can be accessed on the website of Diabetes UK (www.diabetes.org.uk).
Diabetes UK is the new name for the British Diabetic Association. Its "Missing million" campaign will form part of National Diabetes week which is on June 11-17.