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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

One in five UK adults have diabetes or pre-diabetes, analysis shows

A nurse, wearing gloves, prepares a glucometer to test the blood sugar level of an elderly patient
Left untreated, pre-diabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes, although it can be reversed with lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and exercise. Photograph: Addictive Stock Creatives/Alamy

One in five adults in the UK are now living with diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to “alarming” data that exposes the impact of soaring obesity levels, increasingly unhealthy diets and a “broken” food environment.

In total, 12.2 million people are affected, the data analysis from Diabetes UK shows, including 4.6 million with diagnosed diabetes, 1.3 million with undiagnosed diabetes, and 6.3 million with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, also known as pre-diabetes. It is the highest total ever recorded.

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