Scotland’s most at risk areas for diabetes

OVER 276,000 people are currently registered as having diabetes in Scotland, where in Scotland has the worst diabetes rates?

Glaswegians are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes Picture: John Devlin

Across the 14 NHS Scotland health board districts, those living in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area are more likely have diabetes in their lifetime than anywhere else in Scotland.

After adjusting for age - older groups are more likely to get Type 2 diabetes so areas with older populations tend to have higher unadjusted diabetes rates- 5.8 per cent of the region’s population already endure the disease.

Ayrshire and Arran follows Greater Glasgow and Clyde with a diabetes rate of 5.5 per cent (age adjusted).

This table shows the Health Boards and how many people with diabetes in each area Picture: Diabetes Scotland

At the opposite end of the scale, the island regions of Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland have the lowest age adjusted diabetes rates in Scotland.

Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic illness in Scotland and Claire Fleming of Diabetes Scotland says it is a growing concern.

“There are over 276,000 people living in Scotland with diabetes. That’s more than the number of people living with cancer and cardiovascular disease.

“Diabetes is a serious condition which requires careful management to avoid developing complications which can lead to lower limb amputation, blindness, stroke, cardiovascular disease and reduced life expectancy.

“It’s important that people understand the seriousness of the condition and what they can do to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes – up to 80 per cent of cases of Type 2 diabetes could be prevented with healthy lifestyle changes.”

There are several factors involved when calculating the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes:

You’re overweight or have a high Body Mass Index (BMI)

You have a large waist (more than 80cm/31.5 inches in women, 94 cm/37 inches in men or 90cm/35 inches in South Asian men)

You’re from an African-Caribbean, Black African, Chinese or South Asian background and over 25

You’re from another ethnic background and over 40

You have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes

You have ever had high blood pressure, a heart attack or a stroke

You have a history of polycystic ovaries, gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby over 10 pounds/4.5kg

You suffer from schizophrenia, bipolar illness or depression, or you are taking anti-psychotic medication

While some of these are unchangeable factors such as ethnicity or age, the biggest factor in avoiding the disease is maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle.

Diabetes Scotland also has a risk calculator if you’d like to see how likely you are to develop diabetes, and some good advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.