Type 2 diabetes: Risk also increases for 57 other diseases

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A study found that people with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of developing 57 different diseases compared to healthy people.

A research team from the University of Cambridge came to the conclusion by analyzing data from three million people in Great Britain.

The study, which has yet to be fully reviewed, will be presented at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference on Tuesday.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), around seven million people in Germany suffer from diabetes, 95 percent of whom suffer from type 2 – and the trend is rising. An alarming study from the University of Cambridge has now found that those affected have a higher risk of getting 57 different diseases than people who do not have diabetes. Type 2 diabetics are said to be about five times more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease, four times more likely to develop liver cancer and about three times more likely to develop macular degeneration (an age-related eye disease).

According to the study, people with type 2 diabetes developed the disease five years earlier than people without diabetes. Likewise, the risk of developing cardiovascular, urogenital, neurological, and eye diseases appears to be “much higher” in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes under the age of 50 than in people diagnosed “at a later age.” was asked.

For the study, the researchers evaluated the data of three million people from the UK Biobank and UK Clinical Practice Research. According to the research team, it is the most comprehensive of its kind and will be presented for the first time at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2022 on Tuesday. However, it has not yet been published and has yet to be checked by other experts.

More and more young people are getting sick

According to the CDC, the disease usually occurs in people over the age of 45. But a worrying trend is emerging, as younger and younger people have been getting the diagnosis for years. The reason: people are getting fatter – and obesity is one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

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Elizabeth Robertson, Research Director at Diabetes UK, said the study results were “a stark reminder of the far-reaching and serious long-term effects diabetes has on the body,” adding: “The complications of diabetes can be serious and life-threatening.”

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that is characterized by a permanently high blood sugar level because the insulin in the body is reduced or no longer effective. Most diabetes complications from poorly controlled blood sugar levels come in the form of damage to blood vessels in major organs – the eyes, kidneys, heart, blood pressure, feet and nervous system being the most commonly affected. There is no cure for the disease, but it can be managed with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Medication or insulin injections can also relieve symptoms.

Diabetes UK’s Robertson stressed that type 2 diabetes is not “inevitable”. “That’s why it’s so important that people who are at risk get preventive support, and that those already living with the disease continue to have access to good treatment options.”

This article was translated from English by Lara Hansen. You can find the original here.