Diabetes Awareness Week is an annual event aimed at raising awareness about diabetes, and providing an opportunity for people living with diabetes, as well as healthcare professionals, to share experiences and learn more about the condition.
This year’s event took place between 10th and 16th June, with a special focus on the prevention and management of the condition.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a significant chronic health condition, with 4.3 million officially diagnosed cases in the UK, and an estimated 5 million people living with diabetes, when undiagnosed cases are included. Of these, Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, accounting for over 90% of all adult cases. While the disease predominantly affects people over the age of 40, an estimated 148,000 younger people also have the condition.
Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way that the human body metabolises glucose, arising from insulin resistance. As the disease progresses, the body’s cells become resistant to the effects of insulin, which means that more insulin is needed to help glucose enter the cells. There are various causes of the disease, including pancreatic dysfunction, lifestyle factors such as obesity or poor diet, and family history.
Unlike Type 1 diabetes, in which the body does not produce insulin, people with Type 2 diabetes do produce insulin, but the body does not use it effectively. Type 2 diabetes can often be managed through lifestyle changes, e.g. by avoiding excessively sugary food. However, people with Type 1 diabetes usually require a daily insulin injection combined with regular testing.
A Rapidly Escalating Diabetes Crisis
With diabetes cases at an all-time high in the UK, Diabetes UK has warned that the country is in the grip of a ‘rapidly escalating diabetes crisis’.
What is most worrying about these figures is the implication that 700,000 or more people experience symptoms of diabetes without an official diagnosis or medical support.
Unfortunately, many of the early symptoms of diabetes are easy to overlook or may be confused with another condition. These include chronic fatigue, regular feelings of hunger or thirst, and frequent urination. If unmanaged, diabetes can trigger various medical complications, including nerve damage in the legs and feet, kidney damage, circulatory issues, and a heightened risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
The tragedy of diabetes is that the disease is so easy to pick up, and once diagnosed, can usually be successfully self-managed with minimal medical intervention. Self-testing kits, such as the one we offer at Suresign, can be accessed through pharmacies and give patients a fast and convenient way of taking ownership for their health.
Our advice to anyone who is concerned about diabetes or who has symptoms that match those of the disease, is to get themselves tested as quickly as possible, for their long-term health and peace of mind.
Origins Of Diabetes Awareness Week
Diabetes Awareness Week is the lead event of the medical advocacy charity Diabetes UK (formally known as the ‘British Diabetic Association’), which has organised the annual campaign since the 1990s to raise greater awareness through a dedicated week of nationwide activities and educational events.
Please visit Diabetes UK to find out more about the work of the charity and Diabetes Week, and if you’d like to know more about our self-testing kits, please click here to view our current range or get in touch.
Image source: Canva
