Diabetes

We hope you find this information useful, all content is provided by Diabetes UK.

If you have any concerns and would like to speak to a clinician, please contact your practice.

Diabetes is a serious condition where your blood glucose level is too high. It can happen when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces isn’t effective. Or, when your body can’t produce any insulin at all.

We estimate that more than 5.8 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, which is an all-time high.
Data shows that almost 4.6 million people in the UK live with diabetes diagnoses.
Additionally, nearly 1.3 million people could be living with type 2 diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

When you’ve got type 1 diabetes, you can’t make any insulin at all. If you’ve got type 2 diabetes, which is the most common, it’s a bit different. The insulin you make either can’t work effectively, or you can’t produce enough of it. They’re different conditions, but they’re both serious.

In all types of diabetes, glucose can’t get into your cells properly, so it begins to build up in your blood. And too much glucose in your blood causes a lot of different problems.

4.3 million people are living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK

Types of diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

When you’ve got type 1 diabetes, you can’t make any insulin at all. If you’ve got type 2 diabetes, which is the most common, it’s a bit different. The insulin you make either can’t work effectively, or you can’t produce enough of it. They’re different conditions, but they’re both serious.

There are lots of other types of diabetes. They include gestational diabetes, which some women may go on to develop during pregnancy, type 3c, MODY and Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA).

In all types of diabetes, glucose can’t get into your cells properly, so it begins to build up in your blood. And too much glucose in your blood causes a lot of different problems. To begin with, it may lead to diabetes symptoms.

What causes diabetes?

The causes of diabetes depend on the type of diabetes you have.

What all types of diabetes have in common is that they cause people to have too much glucose (sugar) in their blood. But we all need some glucose. It’s what gives us energy. We get glucose when our bodies break down the carbohydrates that we eat or drink. And that glucose is released into our blood.

We also need a hormone called insulin. It’s made by our pancreas, and it’s insulin that allows the glucose in our blood to enter our cells and fuel our bodies.

If you don’t have diabetes, your pancreas senses when glucose has entered your bloodstream and releases the right amount of insulin, so the glucose can get into your cells. But if you have diabetes, this system doesn’t work.

Symptoms of diabetes

The symptoms can depend on the type of diabetes you have. But the common symptoms of 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 take longer to heal
Blurred vision

We’ve got more information about the signs and symptoms of diabetes, as well as advice about what to do if you have some.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diabetes is diagnosed from a blood test. If there are no obvious symptoms it can go undiagnosed.

Early diagnosis helps prevent diabetes complications.

Treatment for diabetes

Treatment is about trying to keep blood sugars within a target range. Being as active as possible, eating healthily and going for regular health checks will help you do this. Some people will also need to take insulin or other medication and check their blood sugars regularly. 

Lots of things can affect blood sugars, so it can be tricky to balance. But it’s possible to lead a full life. It’s about being in tune with your body and learning what works for you.

Managing your diabetes

Getting used to life with diabetes can be difficult, but we’ve got lots of information to help you learn how to manage your condition effectively.

From advice about what to eat, to emotional support and guidance about driving, we’re here to help you live well with diabetes. Find out more about managing your diabetes today.

Diabetes complications

Over a long period of time, high glucose levels in your blood can cause problems in almost every part of your body from your brain to your feet and can seriously damage your heart, your eyes, your feet and your kidneys. These are known as the complications of diabetes.

But with the right treatment and care, people can live a healthy life. And there’s much less risk that someone will experience these complications.

Find out more about the different types of complications, and what you can do to reduce your risk of developing them.

Diabetes-related conditions

Having some conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, can mean you are more at risk of developing diabetes. And there are other conditions linked to diabetes that you should be aware of.

We’ve got more information about these related conditions.

Diabetes remission

Some people with type 2 diabetes are able to put their diabetes into remission. This means your blood sugar levels are healthy without taking any medication.

For many people, this can be life-changing. That’s why we’ve put together guidance and advice for those of you who want to know more about diabetes remission.

Diabetes research

We’ve funded world-class research into diabetes for over 80 years, so that our scientists can continue to find pioneering ways to improve the lives of millions living with the condition.

We’ve got more information about our diabetes research, including more about our approach and the latest projects we are currently funding.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes means that your blood sugars are higher than usual, but not high enough for you to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It also means that you are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. You are unlikely to be experiencing any symptoms with prediabetes.

Prediabetes is also sometimes called borderline diabetes. Higher than normal blood sugar levels can be detected via blood tests. The medical terms for higher-than-normal blood sugars are:

impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
impaired glucose regulation (IGR)
non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.

These tests are a mix of fasting or non-fasting and they all help your healthcare team to understand your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. So, if you’ve been told you have any of these, knowing this is the first step to being able to do something about it. And for many people there are things you can do to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Diagnosing prediabetes

We know that for some people hearing prediabetes can feel as though a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is inevitable, but many people can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and it may be possible to prevent or delay the condition developing.

If you’re worried about prediabetes you could call your GP surgery and ask for a blood test. The most common test will be checking your HbA1c levels which is your average blood glucose (sugar) levels for the last two to three months. If your HbA1c level is between 42mmol/mol (6%) – 47mmol/mol (6.4%) this means it is higher than normal and you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes symptoms

Prediabetes doesn’t have any symptoms. If you start to have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes it means you have probably already developed it.

So it’s important to know the risk factors and what support is available that could help you prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

A lot of people don’t get any symptoms when it comes to type 2 diabetes, or don’t notice them. But you may notice:

going to the toilet more often, especially at night
feeling more tired than usual
losing weight without trying
genital itching or thrush
cuts and wounds taking longer to heal
blurred vision
feeling extremely thirsty.

Causes of prediabetes

An estimated 6.3 million people are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK based on blood sugar levels. We estimate that 1.3 million people are currently living with type 2 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed

If you’ve been told you have prediabetes, this is a warning sign that you are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is you don’t have it yet, and with the right support up to 50% of cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed.

Type 2 diabetes happens because insulin can’t work properly or the insulin your body makes doesn’t work properly, so your blood sugar levels keep rising. This means more insulin is released. For some people with type 2 diabetes this can eventually tire the pancreas out, meaning their body makes less and less insulin. This can lead to even higher blood sugar levels.

That’s why it’s very important to know the risk factors:

You’re more at risk if you’re white and over 40 or over 25 if you’re African-Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian.
You’re two to six times more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother, sister or child with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is two to four times more likely in people of South Asian descent and African-Caribbean or Black African descent.
You’re more at risk if you’ve ever had high blood pressure.
You’re more at risk of type 2 diabetes if you’re living with overweight or obesity.

The number of children and young people with type 2 diabetes in the UK is rising.

Other factors in your environment, like poverty or deprivation and inequality, may also increase your risk.

You are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if some or all of the risk factors apply to you. Our Know Your Risk online tool only takes a couple of minutes to complete. It is very important that you speak to your GP practice about having a blood test for diabetes as you can have type 2 diabetes for years without knowing

You could be eligible for a place on the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme in England.

You may also be eligible for a free NHS Health Check which will check for health conditions including type 2 diabetes.

Preventing type 2 diabetes

Research has consistently shown that for some people combined lifestyle interventions – including diet, physical activity and sustained weight loss – can be effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by half.

Being at risk doesn’t mean you will definitely develop type 2 diabetes. Now is a great time to start making healthy changes to the foods you eat and your activity levels to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Your healthcare team can support you in making these changes.

Manage your weight

If you are living with overweight or obesity and are at high risk of type 2 diabetes even small amounts of weight loss are really beneficial. Losing 5% of your body weight can significantly reduce your risk. There are lots of ways you can lose weight and it’s about getting the right support to find what works best for you.

If you need help with managing your weight a dietitian can help you. Your GP surgery can also help you find weight management services in your local area.

Eat a healthy and balanced diet

There’s no one special diet for all people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Everyone is individual, so there isn’t a one size fits all way of eating for everyone. But, the food and drink we have in our overall diet is linked to our risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

For example, if your overall diet is made up of food and drinks that are in high fat, have a high GI (short for glycaemic index) and low fibre content, this is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. But the good news is that by changing some of your food and drink, you can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

But what is a healthy and balanced diet anyway? All of these ways of eating have been linked with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes:

Mediterranean diet — check out our handy Mediterranean meal plans
dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet
vegetarian and vegan diets
the Nordic diet
moderately cutting down on carbohydrates.

This is because these diets are generally made up of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and lean proteins and it’s the overall balance of our diet that is important in keeping us healthy.

So, to reduce your risk, aim to eat more of the foods linked with a decreased risk. Research has shown us that the following foods and drinks can be associated with a decreased risk:

total fruit and veg intake (including specifically green leafy veg, blueberries, grapes and apples)
wholegrains
yogurt and cheese
unsweetened tea and coffee.

Additionally, there are some foods we recommend reducing your intake of, as these have been associated with an increased risk. These foods include:

sugar sweetened drinks
red and processed meats (like beef, lamb, pork, ham and sausages)
refined carbohydrates (like sugary snacks, white bread, sugary cereals)
potatoes (particularly French fries).

Be more active

A sedentary lifestyle is when we spend a lot of time being inactive and not moving our bodies. Being sedentary is linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

So being active in your daily life can help to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. This doesn’t mean you need to take up a new sport or join the gym. You could make small changes so that you are being more active every day. Think about taking phone calls standing up, using stairs instead of the lift, doing some chair based exercises or going for a walk on your lunch break.

Eye screening information

Useful Resources

NHS Talking Therapies

The CPFT LTC Talking Therapies is part of a national programme to support people with symptoms of anxiety, stress, low mood and depression associated with a long term physical health condition such as diabetes.

Talking Therapies offers to help people to self-manage their long term condition by reducing anxiety and depression, evidence based/NICE recommended treatment e.g. CBT & Mindfulness.

Face to face appointments, telephone appointments and on-line options are available.

How can I refer myself?

We recommend referral in the first instance via the web page:

www.cpft.nhs.uk/talkingtherapies

Alternatively, email our self-referral team at SPAtalkingtherapies@cpft.nhs.uk Or call on the number below and they will guide you through the process. Let them know if you have a long-term physical health condition.

0300 300 0055 – The line is open 9am to 5pm, Mon to Fri.

Active Lifestyles & The Undefeatables

The Undefeatables

HDC Active Lifestyles offer a discounted membership for a period of 9-months to anyone with a diagnosis of Pre-Diabetes/ Diabetes.

The offer includes activities such as off-peak court hire, indoor cycling, gym sessions, fitness classes and swimming, amongst other targeted activities delivered across One Leisure.

The benefits of being active

Moving more can:

Help you look after your blood pressure, because high blood pressure means you are more at risk of a range of health conditions, including diabetes complications
Help to improve cholesterol (blood fats) to help protect against problems like heart disease
Help you lose weight if you need to and keep the weight off after you’ve lost it
Give you energy and help you sleep
Help your joints and flexibility
Help your mind as well as your body – exercise releases endorphins, which you could think of as happy hormones. Being active is proven to reduce stress levels and improve low mood
Help people with type 2 diabetes improve their HbA1c. In some cases, this can help people with the condition go into remission
Enables those with type 2 diabetes increase their insulin sensitivity

It is important to remember that being active is even more beneficial if you are also making healthier food choices, not smoking and getting enough sleep.

For more information or to apply visit: www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/undefeat