A patient receives a diabetes test
(Picture: PA Wire)The number of people aged under-40 in the UK being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is rising at a faster rate than the over-40s, according to new data.
Analysis by Diabetes UK found that the number of under-40s being diagnosed with the disease has surged by nearly a quarter in the past five years.
Diagnoses in the age group climbed by 23 per cent between 2016 and 2021, compared to 18 per cent in the over-40s, according to the charity’s analysis.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the level of sugar in the blood becomes too high and causes symptoms including excessive thirst and tiredness.
It is often linked to being overweight or inactive, with obese people seven times more likely to develop the disease compared with those of healthy weight.
However, the condition has previously been relatively rare in people aged under 40 so healthcare professionals do not always recognise symptoms in the group.
There are around 3.78 million people living with type 2 diabetes in the UK, of which 148,344 are under 40.
But Diabetes UK warned that the number of under-40s diagnosed with the disease could rise as high as 200,000 by 2027 without action to improve lifestyle habits.
A study published in April by the University of Manchester found that a healthy change in lifestyle could cut the chances of getting type 2 diabetes for thousands of Britons.
Researchers found that the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP), which encourages healthy living, resulted in 18,000 fewer people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in England between 2018 and 2019 – a 7 per cent reduction.
Without treatment and management, type 2 diabetes can lead to kidney failure, heart disease and limb amputations.
Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, told the Guardian: “This analysis confirms an incredibly troubling growing trend, underlining how serious health conditions related to obesity are becoming more and more prevalent in a younger demographic.
“While it’s important to remember that type 2 diabetes is a complex condition with multiple other risk factors, such as genetics, family history and ethnicity, these statistics should serve as a serious warning to policymakers and our NHS.
“They mark a shift from what we’ve seen historically with type 2 diabetes and underline why we’ve been calling on the government to press ahead with evidence-based policies aimed at improving the health of our nation and addressing the stark health inequalities that exist in parts of the UK.”
Diabetes UK is encouraging Britons to check their risk of developing the disease by using their free “Know Your Risk” tool on their website, or by visiting their local Tesco pharmacy.
