Diabetes rising dramatically in UK

March 2009    Volume 16, Issue 2   Br J Cardiol 2009;16:63-64

Authors:
BJCardio editorial staff

There was a 63% increase in the incidence of diabetes in the UK in the ten years between 1996 and 2005, a new study shows. The study, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, used data on 49,999 prevalent cases and 42,642 incident cases (1,256 type I diabetes and 41,386 type 2 diabetes) [...]

There was a 63% increase in the incidence of diabetes in the UK in the ten years between 1996 and 2005, a new study shows.

The study, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, used data on 49,999 prevalent cases and 42,642 incident cases (1,256 type I diabetes and 41,386 type 2 diabetes) in UK patients aged 10 to 79 contained in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database.

During the 10-years examined, the prevalence increased from 2.8% to 4.3% while the incidence rose from 2.71 per 1,000 person-years to 4.42 per 1,000 person-years.

Type 2 diabetes accounted for most of the increase, and the proportion of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were obese increased from 46% to 56% during the decade.

“Our results suggest that, although the incidence of diabetes remains lower in the UK than in the US or Canada, it appears to be increasing at a faster pace,” the authors state.

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