Diabetes health alert in Dorset

10:56am Monday 8th September 2008

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DORSET has one of the highest rates of undiagnosed diabetes sufferers in England, according to a report released today.

Research from Diabetes UK has found that the NHS is failing to diagnose 60,000 diabetes sufferers in the South West - the worst in England - listing Dorset as the second highest in the region.

The charity lists Dorset Primary Care Trust in the top 10 of trusts believed to have the highest number of undiagnosed patients.

They estimate that 31 per cent of sufferers in the county - more than 7,000 people - are unaware that they have the condition.

Their figures show a significant disparity within the region, with 92 per cent of sufferers diagnosed in Swindon but 68 per cent in Dorset.

Diabetes UK south west regional manager Jan Tyrell said: "It is extremely worrying that thousands of people here are going about their daily lives unaware that they have a condition that puts them at risk of devastating complications.

"Type 2 diabetes can go undetected for 12 years and by the time people are diagnosed around half already have evidence of complications.

"Early diagnosis is essential so people can start managing their condition and help reduce the risk of developing those complications."

Long-term complications of diabetes include damaging effects to the heart, kidneys, nerves, feet and vision.

The charity's report states that government statistics list 15,295 sufferers for Dorset while their estimate is more than 22,000.

They claim that the NHS 'has not delivered on the public health challenge'.

The charity is warning that people in deprived communities were found to be two-and-a-half times more likely to have diabetes.

One of their previous reports, in April, found that one in three primary care trusts did not have a specific strategy for preventing Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes UK is encouraging people who are overweight or over the age of 40 (over 25 for people of black or South Asian origin), or who have a family history of the condition, to go to their doctor for a test.

Diabetes UK guide to the two main types of diabetes -

• Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin and usually appears before the age of 40. It is the least common of the two main types and accounts for between five to 15 per cent of all people with diabetes.

• Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

• The charity says in most cases Type 2 is linked with being overweight and usually appears in people over the age of 40.

• In South Asian and African-Caribbean people often appears after the age of 25.

• Recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven.

• Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the two main types and accounts for between 85 - 95 per cent of all people with diabetes.

• There are currently over 2.3 million people with diabetes in the UK and Diabetes UK say there are more than half a million people with diabetes who have the condition and don't know it.