Nearly 60,000 Derbyshire adults are currently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and more than 70,000 are pre-diabetic and are at a higher risk of developing the condition.
Health professionals in Derby and Derbyshire are working together to prevent more people developing type 2 diabetes.
The NHS provides a type 2 diabetes prevention programme that helps Derbyshire residents reduce their risk of developing the condition. You can get free type 2 diabetes prevention support as part of a local group or through an online app.
You'll also find information about type 2 diabetes, the signs and symptoms, the health implications and more.
Types and effects of diabetes
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.
There are 2 main types of diabetes:
- type 1 - where the pancreas doesn't produce any insulin and is not related to lifestyle
- type 2 - where the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin or the body's cells don't react to insulin
Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity and tends to be diagnosed in older people. It's far more common than type 1 diabetes - approximately 90% of diabetes is type 2.
Undiagnosed and untreated diabetes can have serious long term health implications including cardiovascular disease, blindness, foot ulcers, kidney disease and lower limb amputation.
In England the cost of type 2 diabetes to the NHS is around £8.8bn or 9% of the NHS budget.
Signs and symptoms
Some of the main symptoms of diabetes include:
- urinating more often than usual, particularly at night
- feeling very thirsty
- feeling very tired
- unexplained weight loss
- itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
- cuts or wounds that heal slowly
- blurred vision (caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry)
Five of the main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes are:
- age – being over the age of 40 (over 25 for South Asian people)
- genetics – having a close relative with the condition (parent, brother or sister)
- weight – being overweight or obese
- ethnicity – being of south Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean or black African origin
- pregnant women who have gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life
Reduce your risk
To find out if you might be at risk of type 2 diabetes you can take the Know Your Risk test at Diabetes UK.
The good news is that type 2 diabetes is often preventable with simple lifestyle changes and this is what the Healthier You programme will help you to do.
If you're at risk of type 2 diabetes you should take these actions:
- eat a healthy, balanced diet
- lose weight (if overweight) and maintain a healthy weight
- stop smoking
- drink alcohol in moderation
- take plenty of regular exercise
If you already have type 2 diabetes, it may be possible to control your symptoms by making these changes. This will also reduce your risk of developing complications.
For more information about diabetes and advice and help on living with the condition visit Diabetes UK.
You can also find out how small changes can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing at One You.
Type 2 Diabetes education
If you have type 2 diabetes, taking part in an education programme is important in order to help you to understand your condition. That way you can learn how to control it and have the best quality of life possible.
For further information about education programmes, contact the Diabetes Education Service:
The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission programme
This is a free programme from Xyla Health and Wellbeing designed to help you reduce your diabetes medications, lose weight, improve your health, and potentially put your type 2 diabetes into remission (no longer have diabetes).
You will be offered low calorie, total diet replacement products (typically soups, shakes and porridges) to replace all normal meals for 12 weeks.
You will receive support and monitoring for 12 months, including help to re-introduce food after the initial 12-week period.
You need be aged 18 to 65 and have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the last 6 years, meet other eligibility criteria and be willing to commit to the 12 month programme to be referred to the service. If you think you might be eligible for the programme, please discuss this with your GP practice at your next planned diabetes review.