UK - Seven Million at Risk from Diabetes

Seven million people in the UK are at risk of developing diabetes, according to a report from Diabetes UK in October 2009.

Diabetes UK warned that seven million people have prediabetes, also known as impaired glucose regulation. These people are 15 times more likely to develop diabetes, but prediabetes alone can cause long-term damage to the heart and circulatory system, among others.

However, prediabetes can be reversed and the risk can be reduced by 60% simply by adopting a healthier lifestyle.

In September, Diabetes UK revealed that there were 145,000 new cases of diabetes in 2008 alone (see UK - Diabetes Now Affects 5% of the Population).

Further reading - A detailed review of the UK pharmaceutical market is available from Espicom: The Pharmaceutical Market: United Kingdom (published September 2009)