England sees rapid rise in prediabetes

Date: Jun-13-2014Over one third of English adults have prediabetes, according to a study by researchers in the US and UK, and published in BMJ Open. The study shows rates of prediabetes have risen

sharply in England - from 12% of adults affected in 2003 to 35% in 2011 - and the researchers warn

that without action, this will lead to a sharp rise in full-blown type 2 diabetes in years to

come.

For the study, University of Florida (UF) researchers worked with a team from the University of

Leicester. Lead author professor Arch G. Mainous III, chair of UF's department of health services

research, management and policy, says:

"The rapid rise was exceptionally surprising and suggests that if something doesn't happen,

there is going to be a huge increase in the prevalence of diabetes."

Co-author Richard Baker, professor of quality in health care at the University of Leicester

Department of Health Sciences, says the findings send "an important signal that we need to take

action to improve our diet and lifestyles. If we don't," he warns, "many people will have less

healthy, shorter lives."

Of adults in England, 35% have prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition where blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough to

warrant a diabetes diagnosis. However, compared with those who have normal levels of blood

glucose, people with prediabetes have a higher risk of developing vascular problems, nerve and

retinal damage, and kidney disease.

In England, over 50% of those aged 40 and over who were overweight fell into the prediabetes category.

And every year, 5-10% of people with prediabetes go on to develop full-blown type 2

diabetes.

However, while prediabetes is a risk factor, it is possible to prevent type 2 diabetes with

medication and lifestyle changes, says Prof. Mainous.

For their study, the researchers analyzed Health Survey for England data collected in 2003,

2006, 2009 and 2011, comprising a mix of questionnaire responses, physical measurements and blood

test results.

Participants - who were all aged 16 and over - were classed as prediabetic if they said they

had never received a diagnosis for diabetes, and their blood glucose lay between 5.7-6.4%, a

band defined by the American Diabetes Association.

For 2011, the results showed 35% of adults in England - including over 50% of those aged 40 and

over who were overweight (body mass index or BMI over 25) - fell into the prediabetes

category.

Lower socioeconomic status appeared to increase risk of prediabetes

After ruling out age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI and high blood pressure, being of lower

socioeconomic status appeared to increase the risk of having prediabetes, note the

researchers.

The results reflect similar rates recently released for the US, where more than 1 in 3 adult Americans have

prediabetes.

However, the researchers note that England's prediabetes rates have risen faster than the ones

in the US over a similar time frame.

The study did not look at what might be causing this steep climb in prediabetes in England.

However, the team points to the rapid rise in obesity in England in the late 1990s, and the fact

the metabolic changes associated with weight gain tend to lag by several years.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.