Health & WellbeingDiabetesKnow your risks on World Diabetes Day
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Know your risks on World Diabetes Day

By Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor Nov 13, 2022

14 November is World Diabetes Day – an international campaign that aims to raise awareness about diabetes and what it’s like to live with the condition.

In the UK, there are 3.5 million people living with diabetes, and another 549,000 people who are estimated to have the condition and don’t know it.

It leads to 65 early deaths every single day and can cause blindness and kidney disease and lead to complications like heart failure, stroke and amputation.

Diabetes develops when glucose can’t enter the body’s cells to be used as fuel. There are two main types of diabetes – Type 1, when there is no insulin to unlock the cells, and Type 2, when there is not enough insulin or the insulin is not working properly.

What happens when you have diabetes?

Risk factors

Around 90 per cent of people living with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. It can come on slowly, often in people over the age of 40.  You’re at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes if:

  • You’re overweight or have a high BMI
  • You have a large waist (over 31.5 inches in women, 37 inches in men, 35 inches in South Asian men)
  • You’re from a Chinese, South Asian, Black African, African-Caribbean background and over the age of 25
  • You have an immediate family member with diabetes

Learn more about your risk of Type 2 diabetes using the Diabetes UK risk assessment tool

Learning more

If you’re interested in finding out more about diabetes, you can find plenty of resources on Silversurfers to help you on your way:

Do you have diabetes or know anyone who does? Share your experiences in the comments below.

 

Disclaimer
All content on Silversurfers.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated at all as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Silversurfers will not be responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content on www.silversurfers.com and we are also not liable for the content of any external websites or links from or to Silversurfers to any other websites. Please always consult your own doctor if you’re in any way concerned about any aspect of your health.
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Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor

Hello there! I’m Rachel and I’m the Assistant Editor for Silversurfers. I work behind the scenes to bring interesting, informative and entertaining subject matter to the Silversurfers community. I hope you enjoy the features we have shared with you. Please feel free to comment below and share your thoughts with us, we love to hear from you!

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