Shocking death rate from diabetes revealed

Shocking new figures released in Britain show that diabetes accounts for more than 1 in 10 deaths in England.

The new figures from the charity Diabetes UK were calculated by combining research evidence, diabetes prevalence estimates and population and mortality data and they show that diabetes is responsible for 11.6% of deaths among 20 to 79-year-olds in England.

Diabetes UK says in most cases the disease kills indirectly by leading to strokes, heart attacks or kidney failure.

It is often not recorded on death certificates and the charity says this is why the number of deaths attributable to diabetes has consistently been underestimated.

The charity says adults under 80 with diabetes are twice as likely to die as those without the condition and if current trends persist one in eight deaths in the same age group would be attributable to diabetes by 2010.

Diabetes UK has called the new figures truly alarming and say they confirm that diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today.

Experts say there are currently 2.3 million people diagnosed with diabetes and more than half a million people are unaware they have the condition.

Most people with diabetes have "type 2" which is associated with unhealthy lifestyles and obesity and figures show the highest percentage of diabetes-attributable deaths were in areas with a higher than average proportion of people over the age of 40.

Experts say good self-management, awareness, and improved access to specialist diabetes care services are crucial in order to curb the growing health crisis and for a reduction to be seen in the number of people dying from diabetes and its complications.

Large numbers of older people of Asian and Afro-Caribbean origin also appear to be at greater risk of type 2 diabetes along with those in poverty stricken areas.

Many people with diabetes die as a result of heart and artery disease as high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, resulting in a stroke or heart attack.

Diabetes is also the most common cause of end-stage renal failure, an irreversible decline in kidney function.

The chief executive of Diabetes UK, Douglas Smallwood says there are 2.3 million people diagnosed with diabetes and over half a million are unaware they have it.