Shock warning amid alarming rise in silent killer in under 40s – are you at risk?
DIABETES cases in under-40s have rocketed by a quarter in just five years.
Figures reveal early onset type 2 diabetes, which used to be rare, is rising as more Brits become overweight and unfit.
warns the total could hit 200,000 by 2027 out of around five million patients in total.
Charity CEO Chris Askew said: “This trend is incredibly troubling.
“It marks a shift from what we’ve seen historically and should be taken as a serious warning to our NHS.”
In response to the concerning surge in cases the charity has launched an with Tesco to calculate your risk of the disease.
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It looks at your height, weight and medical history to determine how likely you are to develop diabetes in the next ten years.
Analysis of NHS data found cases of the disease are now rising at a faster rate among those under 40 than in those over 40.
Researchers from the charity also found new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in those younger than 40 jumped by 23 per cent in just five years.
There are 4.7million Brits with diabetes — double the number from two decades ago.
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Some 90 per cent of those have type 2.
Experts estimate 800,000 Brits are unaware they have the disease, taking the true total closer to six million.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body loses the ability to process sugar, mainly as a result of weight gain and poor lifestyle.
Some 13.6million people are now at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK.
What are the 7 signs to look out for with diabetes?
Common signs you may have diabetes include:
- going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
- being really thirsty
- feeling more tired than usual
- losing weight without trying to
- genital itching or thrush
- cuts and wounds that take longer to heal
- blurred vision
The symptoms are caused by high levels of glucose remaining in the blood, where it cannot be used as energy.
These signs are common in children and adults alike.
But adults suffering with type 1 diabetes can find it harder to recognise their symptoms.
Diabetes UK's four Ts campaign - Toilet, Thirsty, Tired and Thinner - aims to raise awareness of the key signs.
The life-threatening condition is often triggered by poor lifestyle habits like eating too much unhealthy food or not exercising.
More than 700 people with diabetes die prematurely every week.
If not managed correctly the condition can also lead to sight loss and the limb ambuations.
Meanwhile, type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune condition where the body attacks and kills insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, and is normally diagnosed in childhood.
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Insulin is the key hormone in regulating blood sugar levels.
Diabetes UK has said that if nothing changes, 5.5 million people in the UK will have the disease by 2030.