Diabetes in Ireland called a national crisis

A diabetes expert in Ireland has warned that levels of the metabolic condition in the country are a national crisis, as new research reports that one in three people in Ireland have a family member with diabetes.
The study, from a survey of over 700 people, also reported that one in five people have a family member that have developed type 2 diabetes, while 77 per cent of Irish people know somebody who have the metabolic condition.
The research has been issued to coincide with changes to the HbA1C clinical measurements for diabetes in Ireland from the start of next year. The new measurement for reporting HbA1C is intended to stop any confusion between glucose and HbA1C results. There is also a campaign, called Know Your Numbers!, which helps diabetics reduce the risk of developing a complicationcomplication relating to their condition.
Séamus Sreena, who is a consultant endocrinologist and medical director of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland, commented “We have been saying it for years, but these figures really bring the message home – diabetes is everywhere in Ireland.”
Professor Sreenan also stated that it takes an average of about 12 years from the onset of type 2 diabetes and its diagnosis, a delay that often means it is too late to properly treat many sufferers.