UK diabetes hotspot

The world has several diabetes hotspots – particular areas where the concentration of people suffering from diabetes is higher than average. But what of the UK? Where are the diabetes hotspots in this country?
According to the charity Diabetes UK, several UK hotspots exist. These include Slough, Leicester, Birmingham, Luto, London and Blackburn and Darwen . Each borough faces different reasons why diabetes is so rife.
For instance, Blackburn and Darwen is expected to have a higher than average concentration of diabetics due to the large population of people of South Asian or African Caribbean descent. Both of these ethnic groups are known to be more susceptible to type 2 diabetes.
The chief executive of Diabetes UK, Douglas Smallwood, said: “There are hundreds of thousands of people with diabetes walking our streets who do not even realise they have it. We know those who are most at risk and we really need people to ask themselves if it could be them. If they go undiagnosed they are increasing the risk of heart disease, blindness, strokes, kidney disease and amputations.”
To ascertain the figures, Diabetes UK examined age, weight and ethnic origin. The charity have recently launched a campaign called Measure Up – the aim is to highlight the impact of being overweight or obese .