Early diagnosis and treatment can help people living with diabetes manage their condition to avoid or delay potentially life-threatening complications.

According to recent figures from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an estimated 537 million people were living with diabetes in 2021. This number continues to rise, with predictions indicating it will reach 643 million people by 2030. More worryingly, nearly half of those currently living with diabetes (45%) are unaware of their condition, putting them at increased risk of developing debilitating and potentially life-threatening complications.

What’s at risk with diabetes

Common diabetes complications include loss of vision, heart disease and stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage and complications in pregnancy. These can reduce quality of life, increase the need for medical care and cause premature death. In 2021 alone, approximately 6.7 million adults between the age of 20 to 79 are estimated to have died as a result of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for around 90% of all diabetes, often develops silently, with symptoms that can go unnoticed.

It is therefore crucial that people at risk of developing the condition, and healthcare professionals, are equipped with the knowledge to spot the signs of diabetes to treat and manage the condition.

Knowing diabetes signs to inform response

Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for around 90% of all diabetes, often develops silently, with symptoms that can go unnoticed. This lack of awareness prevents or delays action to diagnose and manage diabetes, leading to potential complications.

Common early signs of diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, slow-healing wounds, blurred vision and feeling tired. Making more people aware of these signs and the risk factors for type 2 diabetes can support earlier diagnosis and treatment.

How to avoid complications and manage diabetes

Treatment and daily management of the condition, primarily through a healthy diet and physical activity, alongside medication and education, can significantly reduce the risk of complications and improve quality of life. Addressing the risk factors for type 2 diabetes and adopting a healthy lifestyle early can also prevent the onset of the condition. Risk factors include age, being overweight, ethnicity and a family history of diabetes.

People living with diabetes, those at risk and the health professionals who look after them must be provided with the knowledge and tools to prevent the onset of the condition and, consequently, avoid or delay diabetes complications. Through comprehensive care and education, as well as ongoing and affordable access to medicines and supplies, we can improve lives. 

The post Early diabetes diagnosis can help avoid serious complications appeared first on Health Awareness.

Obesity is a chronic disease and a major risk factor for prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM).

Over 463 million people worldwide have T2DM and may experience complications including cardiovascular diseases, erectile dysfunction, amputations, kidney failure and blindness. Prediabetes is not a benign state and raises cardiovascular risks. Early intervention in diabetes management is crucial to prevent its potentially devastating complications.

Why obesity and T2DM lead to insulin resistance

Insulin resistance, linked to obesity and T2DM, occurs when visceral abdominal fat accumulates around the liver and pancreas, causing insulin to become less effective. The good news is that weight loss can reduce visceral fat, reverse insulin resistance and improve blood sugar levels, potentially leading to T2DM remission.

Early weight loss interventions for individuals with prediabetes and T2DM can reverse the disease and prevent long-term complications.

Losing weight for T2DM remission

The DIRECT study showed that 15 kg weight loss within the first year, achieved through a total diet replacement program followed by structured weight maintenance, resulted in T2DM remission in over 80% of patients. Alternative approaches include intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating and physical activity.

Digital solutions to support patients’ weight loss journey are now available. When diet, exercise and behavioural interventions alone are insufficient, pharmacotherapy options like GLP-1 agonist injections or bariatric surgery may be recommended for individuals with a BMI over 35 and early-onset T2DM.

Managing your health to prevent obesity and T2DM

Obesity itself is a chronic disease and is influenced by biological, genetic and environmental factors. Like hypertension and other chronic diseases, it requires ongoing, lifelong management. Obesity is also a significant risk factor for T2DM development.

Early weight loss interventions for individuals with prediabetes and T2DM can reverse the disease and prevent long-term complications. People at risk should consult their general practitioner for guidance and direction to appropriate assistance and support.

The post Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes with early weight loss intervention appeared first on Health Awareness.

Television presenter and garden designer Lee Burkhill was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 16. He shares his experiences with his condition — and his passions.

How long have you been interested in gardening?

I’ve been interested in gardening since I was a child. My grandad was an old-school allotment grower. He also loved a good rose garden, so I learnt a lot about the growing season of vegetables and flowers.

My approach to gardening and design is to help educate new gardeners by sharing knowledge in easy-to-digest snippets. My YouTube channel and blog have become popular as I explain complex gardening practices in easy-to-understand guides. This is now the cornerstone of my business. Helping to educate through my garden design practice and TV presenting. 

What was your type 1 diabetes diagnosis like?

I was diagnosed at 16, which threw my social life and school studies into chaos. Back then, it was a case of mixing your own long and short-acting insulin and eating set amounts each day. Luckily, it’s much easier now with tech like the FreeStyle libre and carb counting. I wish I had access to that support back then. 

How is it a challenge in your work?

Having type 1 diabetes can be tricky. My working days can be long and involve physical labour and weather from scorching days to driving rain. That can leave me feeling frazzled or freezing. I have a series of ratios of insulin to carbohydrates that I find work for different activities. The FreeStyle Libre also helps me keep a check on my blood glucose throughout the day. Before that, it was a case of washing mud off my hands, finger pricking, then having to snack or inject. It was a real pain. 

How have you been encouraged by the diabetes community?

Access to advice and guidance has never been easy for people living with diabetes in the UK. What I love about the community is that people share very private details about glucose levels, insulin ratios and experiences to help others succeed with their diabetes. It’s a very open forum of people who just want to educate others — a bit like Garden Ninja with helping new gardeners.

What gardening advice would you give people with diabetes?

Gardening is a great form of low-impact physical activity, which is always beneficial to help manage diabetes. It’s also fantastic for your mental health — being in nature and without deadlines. Gardening can help reduce stress and help you manage your diabetes. Gardening is a win–win!

The post The green-fingered TV star who tends to his garden while managing his diabetes appeared first on Health Awareness.

With 75% of people able to identify a continuous glucose monitor, is wearable technology making type 1 diabetes a less hidden condition?

Until recently, type 1 diabetes has been an invisible condition. People with type 1 have to monitor their blood glucose levels throughout the day to stay well — and to stay alive. Type 1 needs consistent, round-the-clock monitoring which is a significant burden for someone living with or caring for someone with the condition — an aspect that is not commonly known by the general public.

Wearable technology for type 1 diabetes

In recent years, there have been huge advances in the technology available to manage type 1 diabetes. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and flash glucose monitors measure glucose levels in real time, and insulin pumps deliver insulin into the body 24/7.

Hybrid closed-loop systems, which use an algorithm to take blood glucose readings and dispense insulin automatically, are also set to become more mainstream in the near future.

Type 1 needs consistent, round-the-clock monitoring which is a significant burden for someone living with or caring for someone with the condition.

Coming out into the open with type 1

Before the advent of type 1 technology, seeing someone inject insulin or do a blood test with a finger-pricker were the only indications that someone had type 1 — unless they verbally disclosed it. CGM, flash and insulin pumps are worn on the body and, unlike insulin pens or finger prickers that are kept in a case or bag until they are needed, these devices are on show much of the time.

Growing exposure to type 1 diabetes

Our research at JDRF found that three-quarters of the general public were able to correctly identify a CGM, which is worn on the upper arm. We have seen celebrities with type 1 proudly wearing tech; most notably, Lila Moss showing her insulin pump on the catwalk and at the Met Gala.

This openness about how type 1 is managed is building an awareness of the intricacies and intensity of type 1 management. It is a huge step forward in allowing people with type 1 to be open about their condition.

Making sure people have access to diabetes tech

However, there is still a way to go. We need to continue to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and work to ensure everyone who needs this life-changing tech has access to it. This is integral to our mission at JDRF, and we will keep working to broaden access to technology across the four nations of the UK.

The post From invisible to visible: how wearable technology expands awareness of type 1 diabetes appeared first on Health Awareness.

Diabetes is a disease that impacts patient’s life every day and hence needs daily management. However, a typical care plan consists of a few pre-planned appointments with health care professionals throughout the year. ProWellness CEO, Mika Sipila, points out that in order to expand care beyond the clinic setting, new augmented intelligence based solutions are needed to support diabetics in their daily lives at home and at work.

Sipila stresses that diabetes is a long-term condition that is mostly managed independently, sometimes for decades, by the patient.

Poor daily care and glycaemic control can lead into serious consequences to the patient’s health. Managing serious complications is very hard for the patient as well as very costly from the health care system’s point of view. Therefore, it’s of paramount importance to have appropriate solutions available for monitoring and guiding patients remotely, notes Sipila.

Around the clock support

Smart mobile phone based Balansio solution supports diabetes selfcare around the clock. It helps users to monitor blood glucose levels as well as automatically calculates the amount of required bolus insulin with meals. In addition to a daily HbA1c estimate, the solution provides patients with automated real-time advice in case the care is out of balance.

With patient’s consent, health care professionals receive information about, e.g., blood sugar levels, and on the other hand, send care instructions directly to the patient’s mobile device.

Balansio works independent of time and place, and provides patients with automated support around the clock. Doctor or nurse determines and activates a personalised care plan on their Balansio user interface and lets the solution take care of the rest. When a patient is managed in an automated manner 24/7 and assisted remotely when needed, doctors’ and nurses’ time is freed up for those patients who need it most, Sipila concludes.

Read more details

¹ HbA1c % (DCCT)

The post One percent¹ reduction in long term blood glucose level reduces the risk of complications by 40% appeared first on Health Awareness.

A simple scan of the eye could hold the answer to pain-free and non-invasive glucose testing.

With the number of people living with type 2 diabetes increasing each year, former Apple industrial designer Daniele De Iuliis suggests that a ‘pain-free, 21st-century solution’ to glucose testing is ‘long overdue’ and has his sights set on using the eye to help deliver it.

The eye: a window to your health?

After 27 years working in Apple’s industrial design team, De Iuliis became a founding investor in Occuity, a Reading-based startup developing an optical device to non-invasively measure glucose levels via the eye. The device will work by safely shining a light into the eye to measure subtle changes and determine glucose levels within the aqueous humour, which has been demonstrated to closely match glucose in the bloodstream.

De Iuliis describes the concept of the ‘Occuity Indigo’ as a pen-like device that is both easy to carry and use, highlighting that it will need no consumables and can be used without the stigma associated with current finger stick devices. “Having witnessed existing finger stick testing first hand, the idea that you can easily take a pain-free glucose measurement from yourself or a loved one — young or old — is most definitely a game-changer,” says De Iuliis.

The team behind the device is building a community of people who share an interest in diabetes.

Community support

The team behind the device is building a community of people who share an interest in diabetes. Already over 8,000 strong, the community is given the opportunity to share their views on the technology and design. They will also be able to support its development through surveys, clinical trials, product testing and even buying shares in the company through its Seedrs crowdfunding campaign.

As De Iuliis concludes: “Diabetes is a very personal condition, and of course, once you have it, it’s likely with you for the rest of your life. We know people want a non-invasive solution, and we thought giving those same people the opportunity to become shareholders in our business is a great way to enable them in joining us on this journey to try to improve their lives and millions more across the globe.”

The post Could our eyes hold the key to pain-free glucose monitoring? appeared first on Health Awareness.

Type 1 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic health conditions worldwide, impacting nearly 9 million people.

Our research programme at JDRF is on a global scale, bringing together the best minds from across the world to drive research into treatments and cures. Now, the Type 1 Diabetes Global Index gives us first-of-its-kind global data to help identify the specific interventions needed to tackle the type 1 crisis.

Global picture of type 1

What we haven’t had — until now — is a global picture of the type 1 diabetes crisis. The Type 1 Diabetes Global Index, led by JDRF in partnership with other global type 1 organisations, uses data modelling to show the prevalence and impact of type 1 in every country. It gives us the most accurate picture of the global state of the crisis.

It highlights the ‘missing people’ — the number of people who would still be alive if they had not died early due to complications from type 1 and ‘healthy years lost’ — time lost to ill health, disability or early death from living with type 1 diabetes.

Globally, the index indicates that there are 3.86 million ‘missing people.’ The average number of ‘healthy years lost’ to type 1 diabetes per person, worldwide, is 32 years (if diagnosed at age 10).

In the UK, the index shows us that the
average number of healthy years lost
to treatment and care is 3.3 years.

Leveraging data for action

The data gives us leverage to call for specific interventions at a country level, including timely diagnosis, access to affordable insulin, glucose testing and the prospect of cellular cures.

Take Rwanda, for example, where an estimated 3,651 people live with type 1 and lose an average of 50 healthy years. JDRF has partnered with an international charity, Life for A Child, which will use the data from the Index to map and understand the needs of people with type 1 in Rwanda and support the clinical provision of insulin and blood glucose testing. These interventions can help us restore some of those 50 years lost — and save lives.

What could this mean for the UK?

In the UK, the index shows us that the average number of healthy years lost to treatment and care is 3.3 years. It also shows us that if everyone had access to technology that automates insulin delivery and glucose monitoring, we could give people back nearly three years of their life, drastically minimising the burden of type 1.

For the first time, we have statistical insight into what can make the most impact across the world.

The post Alleviating the global burden of type 1 diabetes: driving change with data appeared first on Health Awareness.

Elin Cederbrant

T1D app

A woman diagnosed with type 1 diabetes seized the opportunity to participate in a research study involving stem cell infusion. Stem cell injection was found to increase her insulin production.

We met Layla through a video link on a Friday afternoon at the beginning of March. The only thing we knew before the meeting was that she participated in a study. With great curiosity and anticipation, we clicked into the conversation and are met by 31-year-old Layla. Four years ago, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), but her life with T1D looks a little different than most others who have lived with the disease for a few years.

Effect of stem cell infusion

In 2019, Layla participated in the Pro-Trans2 study and belonged to the group that received stem cell infusion. What one hopes to show in the studies (stem cell preparations) is that the immune system can be taught not to attack the insulin-producing beta cells that remain for a period after the illness. This remaining insulin production decreases and disappears for the vast majority within a few months or a year.

With the possibility to preserve the insulin production that remains at the time of illness, life with T1D can be greatly improved, and the risk for future complications decreases. For Layla, the results have been outstanding. Her insulin production has not only been maintained at the same level as when she joined the study but it actually increased since she got stem cells, and it continues to increase with each follow-up she attends.

“I mostly take insulin with food but in small quantities — one or a few units only. In general, I cannot post-correct the blood sugar going up, because if it drops too much, it’s as if the body has already reacted with the insulin.”

The patients treated retained a higher insulin production after 12 months compared
to the patients treated with a placebo.

Getting to know your diabetes

Layla was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 27 after she noticed her vision was blurry and sought care. The disease was completely unknown to her, but she quickly decided to take it all with calmness while she read up, learned to measure her blood sugar and take insulin.

Layla saw an ad where they were looking for participants for a research study on T1D, and she quickly decided to participate.

Layla is now involved in a follow-up study. It follows how the stem cells work in her body and how her insulin production develops. In September 2020, the first results from the study were presented. It was announced that a significant effect had been demonstrated.

Increased insulin production

The patients treated retained a higher insulin production after 12 months compared to the patients treated with a placebo. C-peptide levels — a measure of the body’s own insulin production — in the patients who received the placebo decreased by an average of –47%.

Corresponding levels for the patients treated with the stem cells decreased by an average of –10%. Two out of nine people who received the stem cells had even increased their insulin production after the first year.

Improving everyday life

Layla received her dose of stem cells in 2019, and her insulin production continues to increase. When we — who have lived with T1D for many years — talk to Layla, we are struck by how little she thinks about her illness in her everyday life and how much there is to gain even if one does not get completely cured. Of course, no one knows what will happen in the future — if the stem cells Layla has received have yet reached maximum effect, if they will continue to benefit her in the future or if her insulin production will decrease again. But she has a positive view of life and the future: “I absolutely believe that researchers will find a cure for type 1 diabetes. It feels close, and it’s exciting!”

The post Winning freedom and abandoning thoughts of type 1 diabetes appeared first on Health Awareness.

Increasing numbers of people under 40 are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It is one of the most common — and serious — health conditions we face in the UK.

Cases of type 2 diabetes are rising rapidly and, until recently, it was considered quite rare in people under the age of 40. That common belief, however, is shifting after new statistics revealed an alarming acceleration of diagnoses in younger age groups across the UK.

Serious complications

Analysis of NHS data, carried out by Diabetes UK and our long-standing partner Tesco, has shown that cases of type 2 diabetes are now rising at a faster rate among those under 40 than in those over 40. Registered cases of type 2 in this age group are up 23% in just five years. 

It is important to remember that the numbers of under-40s with type 2 diabetes remain a small proportion of total cases. But this trend of rapidly increasing, early-onset type 2 diabetes is incredibly troubling. The condition is known to have more severe and acute consequences in people under 40 and, without the right treatment and support, it can lead to serious complications that include kidney failure and heart disease.

While type 2 diabetes is often stigmatised as a condition that people bring on themselves, the risk factors are multiple and complex.

Knowing the factors

While type 2 diabetes is often stigmatised as a condition that people bring on themselves, the risk factors are multiple and complex. They include genetics, family history and ethnicity, as well as living with obesity or being overweight, among other factors.

Social deprivation is also an issue. Factors such as income, education, housing, access to healthy food and poorer access to healthcare, have been strongly linked to an increased risk of developing a number of health conditions — including obesity and type 2 diabetes. As a result, people who are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes are often less likely to be able to benefit from support to manage it.

How to check your risk

To mark World Diabetes Day 2022, Diabetes UK and Tesco have launched a campaign to drive a million people to check their individual risk of type 2 diabetes by using our free online ‘Know Your Risk’ tool or by visiting their local Tesco pharmacy. Anyone who completes an assessment will be directed to free advice and information regarding the help and support available to manage their risk.

The post Know your risk of type 2 diabetes — even if you’re under 40 appeared first on Health Awareness.

Craig Rowe was diagnosed with prediabetes. Prediabetes means that blood sugars are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It also means there is a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes but does not always mean it will lead to type 2 diabetes.

Q: How did you find out about your diagnosis?

I had gone for blood tests because I was getting terrible night sweats, and the GP suggested that we run some tests. The results came back with a diagnosis of prediabetes.

Q: How much did you know about prediabetes?

I will be honest. I knew very little about diabetes in general, even though I heard it runs in my family. It felt to me, at the time, that I was being told I was knocking on the door of developing type 2 diabetes. Being given this diagnosis was a huge wake-up call, and I knew I had to find out more and take positive action towards getting my blood sugar down. But as someone who is fairly optimistic, I also knew that it was a good thing I found out because at least I could do something about it.

It felt to me, at the time, that I was being told I was knocking on the door of developing type 2 diabetes.

Q: Why have you chosen to share what you’ve been through?

I am beyond excited to be working with Diabetes UK. I am hoping that by sharing my experience of being diagnosed with prediabetes and what I did to get my blood sugars back to the normal range, I can inspire and help others. I also feel that as a Black man, it is my duty to share with my Black and Asian brothers how much more susceptible we are to type 2 diabetes and to have discussions about the warning signs, getting tested and taking action.

Q: What are your feelings about the future?

I am feeling really positive! The more I learn about prediabetes, the more I can adapt my lifestyle and, in particular, how I can balance the demands of being a busy TV presenter with what my body needs to keep itself healthy.

The post The importance of checking if you are at risk of type 2 diabetes appeared first on Health Awareness.