Researchers from the University of Cardiff, Wales, have found that the British National Health Service (NHS) costs for diabetes drugs, even taking into account the price of inflation, went up by 104% between 2000 – 2008, the BBC reports.  According to the researchers the NHS is spending too much on diabetes drugs that account for 7% of the UK prescribing budget. A big rise in the number of people with type 2 diabetes in recent years does not fully explain the soaring costs. Researchers pointed to marked increases in...

According to a report in the British Telegraph, the first diabetes audit of National Health Service (NHS*) Hospitals in the UK has found that 20% of patients suffer from diabetes while only 4% of the total population have diabetes. This finding is twice as high as previous estimates. Some of the patients are being treated for the direct consequences of diabetes like kidney failure, ulcers or nerve damage. Others have suffered heart attacks and strokes, the risk of which is increased fivefold by diabetes. Even when diabetics are admitted...

According to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, the number of people in England having a limb amputated because of type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically. The BBC reported that the study found below-ankle amputations doubled to more than 2,000  between 1996 and 2005, and major amputations increased by 43%. The average age of those having above-ankle amputations fell from 71 to 69 years. These findings coincide with the rise in type 2 diabetes in the UK over the past decade. It is estimated...

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which people have higher than normal blood sugar levels.  BBC News reports a person with pre-diabetes has a 12 times increased risk of developing full-blown diabetes.  The charity, Diabetes UK, called the condition a “ticking time bomb.” Pre-diabetes often occurs in people who are overweight, and the condition can be reversed with exercise weight loss, and a healthy diet.  In the UK, an estimated seven million people have pre-diabetes.  Diabetes UK said recent research shows pre-diabetes...