The report, compiled by PHE’s National Cardiovascular Health Intelligence Network (NCVIN), provides the most accurate and robust estimate of how many people over 16 in England have blood sugar levels in a range indicating a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, otherwise known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
It was commissioned by the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP), which will support people in reducing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by helping them lose weight, be more active and have a healthier diet. The new estimate further underlines the need to act on Type 2 diabetes, especially as it already results in 22,000 early deaths and costs the NHS £8.8billion every year.
An evidence review also published today by PHE shows programmes similar to the NHS DPP can be successful in preventing 26% of people at high risk of Type 2 diabetes from going on to develop the condition. People supported by diabetes prevention programmes lose on average 1.57kg more weight than those not on a programme aiming to significantly reduce diabetes risk.
Both reports have shaped what the NHS DPP will offer – at least 9 months of information, support, group and one to one sessions on weight loss, physical activity and diet. Practitioners, clinicians, academics and the public are currently being consulted on a proposed outline of the programme. Consultation responses will further inform the programme, with a phased national rollout starting in 2016.
Professor Aliko Ahmed, Director for PHE East of England, said: “The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes can be lowered through losing excess weight, exercising regularly and eating healthily, but it’s hard to do it alone. Our evidence review shows that supporting people along the way will help them protect their health and that’s what our prevention programme will do.”
Dr Christine Macleod, Medical Director for NHS England (East) said: “There are too many people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes and we can change that. The growing body of evidence makes us confident that our NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme will reduce the numbers of those at risk going on to develop the debilitating disease.”
Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Having high blood glucose levels significantly increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which is a serious health condition which affects 2.9 million people in England, and can lead to devastating complications such as blindness, amputations and stroke, and ultimately early death. This is why it is really important that people at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes are given evidenced based support to reduce their risk. As well as helping to reduce the human cost of Type 2 diabetes, this would also go a long way to helping to reduce costs to the NHS. The NHS spends 10 per cent of its entire budget managing diabetes and unless we get better at preventing Type 2 diabetes this figure will rise to unsustainable levels.”
The data on non-diabetic hyperglycaemia is broken down by local authority (LA) for the first time, in the East of England this ranges from 10.6% of people in Milton Keynes to 12.3% in Norfolk, compared to England which ranges from 8.5% of people in Brighton and Hove to 14% in Harrow. Higher rates are found in areas with large ethnic minority populations or older populations, or both – the groups traditionally at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Lifestyle factors, including weight, physical activity levels and diet, are important like the inherent factors of ageing and ethnic background in determining the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The NHS DPP will focus on providing support to participants on changing their behaviour in these areas to reduce their risk.
According to the evidence review, programmes more aligned with the NICE guidance on preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes help people lose on average 3kg more weight and significantly reduce blood sugar levels.
Aside from reducing incidences of Type 2 diabetes, the NHS DPP also aims to reduce the life-changing complications associated with the disease, like heart, stroke, kidney, eye and foot problems, and reduce costs to the NHS in the long term.
People identified with a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, either through an NHS Health Check or through an existing blood test result will be offered a place on the NHS DPP. The programme will be rolled out in phases from 2016.
The data below gives the estimated number of people aged 16 and over in the East of England who have non-diabetic hyperglycaemia by local authority:
|
Local Authority |
Number of people |
Prevalence |
|
Bedford |
15,411 |
11.7% |
|
Cambridgeshire |
57,020 |
10.8% |
|
Central Bedfordshire |
24,098 |
11.1% |
|
Essex |
138,363 |
11.8% |
|
Hertfordshire |
102,691 |
11.1% |
|
Luton |
19,594 |
11.9% |
|
Milton Keynes |
21,582 |
10.6% |
|
Norfolk |
90,706 |
12.3% |
|
Peterborough |
16,360 |
10.8% |
|
Southend-on-Sea |
16,527 |
11.4% |
|
Suffolk |
73,290 |
12.0% |
|
Thurrock |
14,054 |
11.0% |
- The report on non-diabetic hyperglycaemia was produced by the National Cardiovascular Health Intelligence Network (NCVIN), a group of cardiovascular experts co-ordinated by PHE.
Using five years’ of the latest available Health Survey for England data, the new analysis gives the programme the most accurate and up to date picture of how many people have non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
The report, including the local authority breakdown is available on the NCVIN website - The PHE review collated studies conducted since the highly regarded studies of the late 1990s and early 2000s in the US, Finland, China, India and Japan, including as yet unpublished, pragmatic, “real world” diabetes prevention solutions. It updated the 2012 review underpinning the NICE guidelines on preventing Type 2 diabetes in high risk groups. The PHE evidence review is available on the gov.uk/phe website.
- The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is a joint commitment from NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK, to deliver evidence-based behaviour change interventions at scale to people at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to support them in reducing their risk.
- The NHS DPP has used the PHE evidence review and NCVIN data to develop a core components framework, currently out for consultation. Further information about the programme and details of the consultation are available on the NHS DPP website.
- NICE published guidelines on identifying people at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and the provision of effective interventions for them. The guidelines are available on the NICE website.
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Issued by: PHE East of England. Tel: Karen Dowle/Trudi Howe 030 344 46703 or Iain Mallett 030 344 46692
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