Analysis of Health Survey for England 2013 to 2019 has revealed that an estimated 7% of adults showed evidence of type 2 diabetes, and 3 in 10 (30%) of those were undiagnosed; this equates to approximately 1 million adults with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. Younger adults were more likely to be undiagnosed. 50% of those aged 16 to 44 years with type 2 diabetes were undiagnosed compared with 27% of those aged 75 years and over. The prevalence of pre-diabetes among Black and Asian ethnic groups was more than double compared to main ethnic groups.
According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) release titled “Risk factors for pre-diabetes and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in England: 2013 to 2019”, an estimated 7% of adults in England showed evidence of type 2 diabetes, and 3 in 10 (30%) of those were undiagnosed; this equates to approximately 1 million adults with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Older adults were more likely to have type 2 diabetes, but younger adults were more likely to be undiagnosed if they did have type 2 diabetes; 50% of those aged 16 to 44 years with type 2 diabetes were undiagnosed compared with 27% of those aged 75 years and over.
Those with type 2 diabetes were also more likely to be undiagnosed if they were in better general health, and women were more likely to be undiagnosed if they had a lower body mass index (BMI), lower waist circumference, or were not prescribed antidepressants.
Pre-diabetes affected around 1 in 9 adults in England (12%), which equates to approximately 5.1 million adults.
Groups most at risk of having pre-diabetes were those with known risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as older age or being in the BMI categories “overweight” or “obese”; however, there was also considerable prevalence in groups typically considered “low risk”, for example, 4% of those aged 16 to 44 years and 8% of those who were not overweight or obese had pre-diabetes.
Black and Asian ethnic groups had more than double the prevalence of pre-diabetes (22%) compared with White, Mixed and Other ethnic groups (10%); the overall prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes was also higher in Black and Asian ethnic groups (5%) compared with White, Mixed and Other ethnic groups (2%).
Among those who were found to have type 2 diabetes, there was no difference between ethnic groups, with similar percentages of people who were undiagnosed found in both Black and Asian, and White, Mixed and Other ethnic groups.
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Reference:
Office for National Statistics (ONS), released 19 February 2024, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Risk factors for pre-diabetes and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in England: 2013 to 2019
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