Diabetes
Over 2 Million people in the UK have Diabetes, unfortunately more than half a million people have Type 2 Diabetes (Sometimes referred to as Late-Onset Diabetes) but are completely unaware of it.
Many of those people with Type 2 Diabetes, who are unaware of it, may have already started to develop some of the complications.
Diabetes, which if left untreated, can lead to High Blood Pressure, Blindness and vascular complications which can result in amputations.
Royal Docks Pharmacy has set-up free Diabetes testing in both of their pharmacies, this allows regular testing in order to diagnose, confirm or as a maintenance check for Diabetics.
Diabetes testing was set-up to cater for the three following scenarios:
- Confirming another Diabetes test, either done in the same pharmacy or at another Healthcare setting
- Using the facilities as a maintenance check, ensuring correct configuration of home Diabetes kits
Diabetes testing is now easily available and the whole test, from novice to confirmed Diabetic should take no longer than 10 minutes.
The Diabetes test can correctly diagnose a high blood sugar reading. Due to external factors, such as a recent sugary meal, a second test will be proposed if the first test results in a high blood sugar reading.
There are risk factors for Diabetes, which are:
- Positive Family History - Having a Diabetic in your immediate family
- Ethnicity - African-Caribbean or South Asian are more that 5 times more likely to develop Diabetes
- Weight - Being overweight greatly contributes to developing Diabetes later on in life
- Waist measurement - Women over 31.5in or Men over 37in waist have an increased risk
Other factors exist, for more information please visit
www.diabetes.org.uk