Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week provides an opportunity to reflect on one of the most significant public health challenges facing the NHS. More than 5 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, with the vast majority having Type 2 diabetes. Many more are living with non diabetic hyperglycaemia, often referred to as pre diabetes.
The encouraging news is that Type 2 diabetes is not inevitable. Research consistently demonstrates that lifestyle interventions can significantly reduce the risk of progression in people identified as high risk.
Risk factors include excess weight, physical inactivity, family history, certain ethnic backgrounds, increasing age and previous gestational diabetes. Many of these risk factors are routinely identified in primary care through NHS Health Checks and opportunistic screening.
The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme has become a key component of national prevention efforts. The programme supports patients through structured education, physical activity guidance and behavioural change interventions designed to reduce future diabetes risk.
For practices, the challenge is not simply identifying risk but engaging patients early enough to make meaningful changes. Prevention remains one of the most cost effective interventions available to healthcare systems.
Further Reading
NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
NICE Guideline NG28: Type 2 Diabetes Prevention
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