Diabetes UK: 300 heart attacks in people with diabetes every week

Monday, 15 June 2009 12:00 AM

Shocking new figures¹ reveal over 300 people with diabetes are admitted to hospital with a heart attack every week in the UK, warns leading health charity Diabetes UK.

Data from the NHS Information Centre2 also reveals a sobering tally of over 300 strokes, 65 foot or toe amputations and 38 leg amputations among people with the condition each week. Due to the way hospital data is recorded, these figures may well be lower than actual numbers as occurrences in the same person are only counted once.

Compared to those without the condition, people with diabetes are five times more likely to develop heart failure and cardiovascular disease3 and are two to three times more likely to have a stroke4. Heart attack, heart failure and stroke are major causes of death and disability in people with diabetes, accounting for 44 per cent of fatalities in people with Type 1 diabetes and 52 per cent in people with Type 25.

Diabetes UK Chief Executive Douglas Smallwood, said: "Diabetes is the biggest health challenge currently facing the UK. Cardiovascular disease is the most common diabetes complication, sadly accounting for at least half of the 70 diabetes-attributable deaths that occur every day.

"Whilst we can't say for certain whether diabetes is the sole contributing factor behind these new figures, we do know from a wealth of previous research that there is a very strong link.

"People with diabetes need to maintain good blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol control, take regular physical activity, eat a healthy balanced diet, and take any prescribed medications to reduce their risk of developing these devastating complications."

Jacqueline Tagg, 41, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2000. Very active growing up, enjoying ballet and tap, Jackie suffered a prolapsed disc when she was 30 and had to stop dancing.

"I didn't want to get completely out of shape, so I took up gentler exercise like walking, and I was eating a pretty good diet", explained Jacqueline.

"Even so, over the next few years I went from a size 14 to a size 18, and really struggled to lose the weight. I also felt constantly tired, no matter how well I slept.

"Not long after this, while I was on holiday, I started feeling like I couldn't breathe and had chest pains coming in waves; on the flight back home I was really quite unwell. My husband rushed me to the hospital and it turned out I'd had a heart attack - I was only 40!

"I've managed to keep up a surprisingly positive outlook, because I don't want my health problems to take over my life. It's been really hard on my husband because he worries about me, but I do my best to reassure him. There are still too many things I want and need to do, and I'm not going to let my health problems stop me", said Jacqueline.

On Tuesday 16 June, as part of Diabetes Week, Diabetes UK is bringing together 100 people, including 20 diabetes amputees, for a photo call at London's O2 Arena to highlight the fact that diabetes causes 100 amputations every week and to call on hospitals to adopt the recommendations of a new Diabetes UK/NHS Diabetes report Putting Feet First, aimed at improving foot care for people with diabetes.

To find out if you are at risk of diabetes visit www.diabetes.org.uk

If you wish to become a member of Diabetes UK, or for more information on membership visit www.diabetes.org.uk/supportingmember or call supporter services on 0845 123 2399.

Notes

1 Data and analysis from the NHS Information Centre. The analysis is based on data from England. The data has come from 5,359 GP practices, 35 hospital trusts and 91 paediatric units. All patient records were linked by NHS number to ensure that for each patient, only one record is included in the analysis. Data was received from every PCT in England.

Complication figures are all HES (Hospital Episode Statistics) 1 year prevalence means that if a complication occurs on more than one occasion in the same patient during the year it is only counted once. This is essential to avoid inappropriate inflation caused by the way HES data is recorded. However it may mean that the estimates are lower than actual.

Total number of diabetes patients audited in 2007/08 = 1,425,969

A scaling factor of 1.8 (2,500,000 / 1,425,969) was applied to give approximate figures for diabetic complications in the whole of the UK.

2 NHS Information Centre - http://www.ic.nhs.uk/

3 1996. Diabetic Medicine. 13 (Suppl.4):S101-S121

4 1996. Diabetic Medicine. 13 (Suppl.4):S101-S121

5 Morrish NJ, Wang SL, Stevens LK et al (2001). Mortality and causes of death in the WHO multinational study of vascular disease in diabetes. Diabetologia 44 suppl. 2; s14-s21.

6 'Hypo' - hypoglycemia - http://tinyurl.com/m4b6g7

7 Diabetes UK is the leading charity for the three million people in the UK with diabetes. It is our 75th Anniversary in 2009 and events to mark this special occasion will be taking place around the country. We aim to spend more than £8 million on research in 2009 as well as campaigning and providing information and support. During our 75th Anniversary year, we hope you will be able to join in and support us so that we can carry on improving the lives of people with diabetes into the future. For more information visit www.diabetes.org.uk.

8 In the UK, there are currently 2.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that up to half a million people have the condition but do not know it.

9 The Diabetes UK Careline (0845 120 2960) offers information and support on any aspect of managing diabetes. The line is a low cost number and opens Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm (operates a translation service). Recorded information on a number of diabetes-related topics is also available on this number 24 hours a day.

10 Supporting our work to fund vital research into the care, treatment and hopefully a cure for diabetes as a Diabetes UK Supporting Member entitles you to a range of benefits including our bi-monthly magazine Balance, reliable information booklets on diabetes, our confidential Diabetes UK Careline, over 400 local Diabetes UK support groups, and access to an exclusive personalised Supporting Members Area on our website.

Tags: