Type II Diabetes Could Bankrupt the NHS
In 2018, I wrote a book called “Live Well to 101”. I looked at all the factors that can influence healthy longevity. At the time of writing, it was estimated there were 3.2 million people in the UK living with diabetes, 90% of whom were living with type 2. Experts were predicting that, if we continued on the current trajectory, there could be as many as 5 million people living with diabetes by 2025. Many hoped that would be an exaggeration, but fast forward to today and in fact there are 5.8 million people living with diabetes in the UK. It is thought there are an extra 1.3 million living with the condition but are not yet diagnosed and 6.3 million people living with pre-diabetes.
The NHS currently spends 10% of its total budget on managing diabetes and its complications. That’s a whopping £10.7 billion a year and predictions are that the figure could rise to £18 billion in the next ten years.
I think of the NHS as a bit like “Mum”. For most of us living in the UK today, she has always been around and as such, it is easy to take her for granted and perhaps even find fault. She may not be perfect, but one thing is for sure, she does have our best interests at heart and if we lose her, we are going to really miss her. I have genuine concerns that type 2 diabetes could bankrupt our NHS in my lifetime, and I think we need to change our attitude to the condition.
When I first joined General Practice 30 years ago, if I made a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, it was met with real fear. People knew that a diagnosis of diabetes meant an increased risk of serious complications including heart attacks, strokes, amputations, dialysis and loss of vision. Today, the diagnosis is much more common and there seems to be a complacency around it. People feel type 2 diabetes is the “mild” form, which it absolutely is not. Everyone knows someone with type 2 diabetes, and they may look completely well on the outside, but the truth is, that by the time a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is made, an individual already has a 50% chance of having developed some of the complications associated with diabetes.
Last week was “Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week” and I would like to encourage everyone living with pre-diabetes to take steps to prevent pre-diabetes becoming type 2 diabetes.
I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes several years ago when working on “Embarrassing Bodies”. It came as a surprise because I am not overweight, and I considered myself to live a healthy lifestyle. I grow all our own vegetables, and we cook from scratch. I don’t have a sweet tooth, and we exercise regularly. I’d say my only vice in this area is that I enjoy a glass of white wine at the weekends. In 2024, my HbA1c rose to 48, which is just in the diabetic range.
I started working with Yuwell Anytime (www.yuwellanytime.co.uk) at the end of last year and decided to wear its continuous glucose monitor (CGM). The results were fascinating. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc has no effect on my blood glucose but just one slice of bread (even sourdough bread) spikes my blood sugar to above 20. I have cut out bread from my diet and my HbA1c has fallen back to 44. Without the Anytime I would have become teetotal and continued to eat sandwiches which would have had no impact on my HbA1c. I would love to see the Anytime offered as part of the National Diabetes Prevention Programme. Having real time feedback of what is happening to your blood sugar is a great motivator for lifestyle change and I believe it could help prevent a significant number of the 6.3 million people living with pre-diabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes and go a long way to protecting “Mum”.
Written by Dr Dawn Harper
Dr Dawn Harper is a practicing NHS GP, broadcaster, and Medical Ambassador for Yuwell Anytime. Follow @DrDawnHarper.