Men aged between 35 and 54 are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as women, according to a report by the charity Diabetes UK.
It found that about 2.4%, or 92,960, of men in England aged 35-44 had diabetes, compared with 1.2%, or around 47,000, of women of the same age.
In the age 45-54 bracket, the disparity was 6% of men (or around 197,050) against 3.6% (around 120,670) of women. The spread of diabetes had risen four times faster in men aged 35-44 over the past 12 years compared with women of the same age, with the fact of more men being overweight a contributory factor. Research by The NHS Information Centre further concluded that six out of 10 of the 1.42 million people with diabetes in England do not receive all the care recommended for their condition.
People with diabetes were more likely to have complications depending on where they lived in the country, with those in more socially deprived areas more at risk.
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Simon O’Neill, Diabetes UK director of care, information and advocacy, said: “It’s very worrying that men of this age are developing diabetes at such an alarming rate compared to their female counterparts.
“Most of them will have Type 2 diabetes, which is genetic but is also strongly linked to lifestyle and can be prevented in many cases by eating a healthy balanced diet and doing regular physical activity.”
