Men over 35 at double the diabetes risk of women

Men aged 35-54 are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as women of the same age.

large stomach A new report from Diabetes UK reveals that 2.4% (around 92,960) of men in England aged 35-44 have diabetes compared to 1.2% (around 47,000) of women of the same age, while 6% (around 197,050) of men aged 45-54 have diabetes compared to 3.6% (around 120,670) of women their age.

Statistics also show that diabetes has risen four times faster in men aged 35-44 over the last 12 years compared to women of the same age, and that, consistently, more men are overweight than women.

Simon O'Neill, Director of Care, Information and Advocacy at Diabetes UK, said: 'Approximately 90% of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which is strongly linked to lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity levels. The condition can be genetic, but many people are overweight when they are diagnosed.'

Exercise reduces risk

However, women 'should not rest on their laurels', said O'Neill. 'They may tend to develop the condition later in life, but the risk of death from heart disease associated with Type 2 diabetes is about 50% greater in women than it is in men — not a statistic to be ignored.'

Diabetes UK say research shows that losing weight can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes in those at high risk by 58% and physical activity can reduce the risk by 64%.

Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include:

being over 40 years old
or over 25 if you're Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority group
having a large waist (37 inches or more in most men; 35 inches for men of south Asian origin)
being of Black or south Asian origin and having a family history of the condition.

Diabetes is a serious condition. If not managed effectively it can lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation.