The United Kingdom has a steadily climbing diabetes population, now thought to be well over 2 million people. Different ethnic groups within the UK are more at risk from diabetes and the complications that result from it. A new study has revealed that Indians in the UK are more vulnerable to heart attacks and diabetes than the rest of the population.
The study, which was funded by the British Heart Foundatio, highlights the growing health problems amongst British Asians. The author, a professor at Manchester University, has called for urgent action to stem the problem, and pointed out the importance of diet and exercise.
The research contains some surprising statistics. British people whose families come from the Indian sub-continent are approximately 50 per cent more likely to suffer coronary heart diseases then their European counterparts. Furthermore, 20 per cent are recorded as suffering from type 2 diabetes, compared with only 3 per cent of the general British population.
The author of the study was reported as saying: “Of immediate concern are the high rates of untreated diabetes, abnormal cholesterol levels and high blood pressure among South East Asians in the UK. The good news is that the final outcomes of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke, could be reduced significantly by identifying and addressing risk factors earlier on.”
The implications for the healthcare system are enormous, and the experts behind the study were reported to be calling for better education to reduce obesity.
