THE fatal consequences of suffering from diabetes is the focus of a themed week from Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
The CCG is holding Diabetes Prevention Week between Monday, May 23 and Sunday, May 29, working to raise awareness that, according to figures, one in eight people between 20 and 79 years old have their death attributed to diabetes.
Local GP and diabetes lead for the CCG, Dr Ian Chan, believes that number is expected to rise, while life expectancy on average is reduced by up to 10 years for people with the condition.
He wants to encourage people to use their online tools to find out their risk and join their local Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
He said: “There are other risk factors such as your weight which are very much in your control – indeed, the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by getting support to lose weight, becoming more physically active and eating healthy food.
“It’s very important that you find out if you are at high risk of Type 2 diabetes, so you can get support to lower your risk.
“You may also be eligible to sign up for your free local Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
“The programme provides personalised support to help people achieve a healthy weight, improve their diet and become more physically active – a combination which has been shown to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
“People enrolled in the programme get advice on healthy eating and exercise that can prevent them developing the condition, and therefore avoiding the need for medication and complications such as amputations.”
According to the NHS Type 2 Diabetes is the leading cause for sight loss and a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and a lot of the common types of cancer.
The CCG is mainly concerned about people from black and South Asian backgrounds as, according to research, they have a higher risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes after the age of 25, compared to people from a white background where the risk increases after the age of 40.
To check for the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, head to https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start
People who suspect they may be at risk of Type 2 diabetes are advised to speak to their GP or refer themselves to a local support programme.
