New research has revealed the rate of diabetes in men from Birmingham is twice as high as the national average.
The findings from Diabetes UK, unveiled at its Annual Professional Conference in Glasgow, showed that 14.7 per cent (6,668) of men over the age of 40 have diabetes in Birmingham, compared to the 5.8 per cent (746,500) UK average.
Diabetes UK chief executive, Douglas Smallwood, labelled the high rate of diabetes among men in the city as “shocking”.
“Diabetes can lead to life-threatening conditions such as stroke, heart and kidney disease,” he said.
“However, good diabetes control including regular physical activity and a healthy diet can cut the risk of complications and help prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes .”
The research team worked in conjunction with 64 GP practices across Birmingham and discovered there are a further 3,454 men in the city who could potentially have Type 2 diabetes and are not aware of the threat.
Dr Felix Burde, Community Diabetologist at Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust, said: “The high proportion of people with Type 2 diabetes in Birmingham is partly due to the current obesity crisis, its high Black and South Asian population and high levels of deprivation.”
“Diabetes is contributing to high rates of cardiovascular disease in inner city areas and we need to urgently find all the people with diabetes who do not know they have it.”
“Testing should be offered to all men over the age of 40, regardless of whether they have any risk factors, so that the condition can be diagnosed earlier,” Dr Burden added.
