Defi ning diabetes Information on Type 1 and Type 2

Take care of yourself Expert advice on managing diabetes

How I made it Personal insight: living with diabetes

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORT

Raising awareness: Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver talks to us about why she is supporting Diabetes Week 2012 and what it means to her

2012SHOW YOUR

SUPPORT

DIABETESNo. 6 / June 2012

DIABETES WEEK

PHOTO: DIABETES UK

2 · JUNE 2012 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET

Putting diabetes on the health agenda

D I S C R E E T

Managing your diabetes just got a whole lot easier

The first truly integrated blood

glucose monitoring system

Contact your Diabetes Specialist

Nurse for more information

| 25 strip cassette

| Integrated lancing device

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Date of preparation: May 2012 MEN12-0022a

2012 is proving to be an important year for Diabetes UK as we continue to push the issue of diabetes onto the national agenda. Diabetes Week is a great way to show support and really wake the nation up to the big health challenge we face

There are 3.7 million people with diabe-tes in this country, including 850,000 people already liv-ing with Type 2 di-abetes who do not

know it. This means that they don’t yet know that their body is not us-ing insulin correctly, or making enough to control their blood glu-cose levels. They don’t yet know how to manage their condition or how to protect themselves from the devastating related complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation.

Early diagnosis is keyIn order to live long, healthy and happy lives, people with di-

abetes need to be diagnosed as quick-ly as possible. They need the right in-formation, the advice and the sup-port to manage their condition and protect their health. Diabetes ac-counts for about 10 per cent of the NHS budget and 80 per cent of NHS

diabetes spending goes on the treat-ment of complications which could otherwise be avoided if this diagnosis and support is provided at the right time. Early intervention is the only way we can look after the UK’s physi-cal and emotional health as well as the NHS’s pockets.

It is essential for those who are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabe-tes, or those living with the condition undiagnosed, that they know how they can work with their healthcare professionals and to look after them-selves. This connection could make the diff erence between developing a

lifelong condition or not.

Awareness and supportFor everyone in the UK living with diabetes, making a con-

nection with the right person can be life-changing. Finding someone who can give a clear answer, someone who’ll put people in touch with oth-ers, someone who can advise on what to eat or just someone who knows what a person with diabetes is going through can make all the diff erence when living with diabetes.

This year, Diabetes Week — Diabe-tes UK’s annual awareness and fund-raising campaign — is highlighting these connections and helping peo-ple to fi nd that ‘someone’. With the theme ‘make a diabetes connection’, Diabetes Week 2012 runs from 10 to 16 June and aims to connect more people aff ected by diabetes both with each other and with the support that Diabetes UK provides.

For more information visit www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetesweek

Barbara YoungChief Executive, Diabetes UK

‘When I was diagnosed, it was a massive shock to me and my family; I thought this was something that just happened to people in their 40s or 50s’

Jason McEwenDiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes aged 32

PAGE 6

DIABETES, 6TH EDITION, JUNE 2012

Managing Director: Christopher EmbersonEditorial Manager: Faye Godfrey

Responsible for this issueBusiness Development Manager: Dominic WebberPhone: 020 7665 4402E-mail: dominic.webber@mediaplanet.com

Distributed with: The GuardianPrint: The Guardian Print Centre

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CHALLENGES

JUNE 2012 · 3AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET

Forewarned is forearmed

Type 1 diabetes develops when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insu-lin. As a result, the body is unable to produce insulin and this leads to in-creased blood glucose levels, which in turn can cause serious damage to all organ systems. It is the less com-mon of the two types of diabetes and accounts for around 10 per cent of all people with diabetes — it cannot be prevented and it is not known why exactly it develops. Type 1 diabetes is treated by daily insulin doses — taken either by injections or via an

insulin pump — a healthy diet and regular physical activity.

Symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood instead of being used as fuel for ener-gy: the body tries to reduce blood glu-cose levels by fl ushing the excess glu-cose out of the body in the urine.

The main symptoms of undiag-nosed diabetes can include pass-ing urine more often than usual, es-pecially at night; increased thirst; extreme tiredness; unexplained

weight loss, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush; slow healing of cuts and wounds, and blurred vision.

The signs and symptoms are usu-ally very obvious and develop very quickly, typically over a few weeks; they are quickly relieved once the di-abetes is treated and under control.

Help and supportWhether you’ve just been diagnosed or have been living with the condi-tion for years, there are many sources

of advice, information and support, especially from charities such as Dia-betes UK and JDRF.

Although diabetes cannot yet be cured it can be managed very suc-cessfully: this is likely to involve life-style changes that will have enor-mous health benefi ts and allow a per-son to continue their normal life. You may also be required to take diabetes medication or insulin, or a combina-tion of the two. It is important to re-member that the medication is not instead of diet and physical activity: you will still need to continue with this, point out Diabetes UK.

Balancing your diet when you have Type 1 diabetes can be challeng-ing but it is important to help man-age your diabetes and protect your long-term health: the good news is that you should still be able to enjoy a wide variety of food.

EMILY DAVIES

Source: Diabetes UK. Photo: Shutterstock

NEWS

Type 2 Diabetes? Put it in reverse!

Stephen Outram with all the medication he won’t be taking after a successful stay at Obsidian Retreat

Recent stories in the press may give the impression that reversal of Type 2 Diabetes is a

research to support this has been available for over 30 years.

The aim of any reversal programme is to help people to control their condition and, where possible, reduce or eliminate the need for medication.

The Obsidian Programme, run at Obsidian Retreat, nr. Alicante, Spain has been carefully designed to follow proven methods. It is medically supervised and incorporates four aspects:

Diet - A healthy, nutritious, plant-based diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, pulses, legumes etc. It includes fresh fruit/vegetable juices and meals. As well as helping to control diabetes, it also leads to sustainable weight loss (if required).

Exercise – A programme of light exercise, such as walking, yoga, rebounding, Pilates, Tai Chi.

Education - Through demonstrations, talks and

educational DVDs, guests are shown how to build upon their success at the retreat by following the programme at home.

Mindset - For most people who attempt a change of diet, the main obstacles are their own thought processes. This part of the programme helps you to understand why you have been

unsuccessful in the past, as well as giving you powerful tools for future success.

Coaching at the retreat, as well as upon your return home, provides crucial and targeted support.

The vast majority of guests have used the Obsidian programme to reduce - or come off - medication, but more importantly they remain medication free.

Take Stephen Outram as an example. A 60 year old Type 2 diabetic from Tralee, Stephen came to the retreat in February 2012.

He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes several years ago. He also had high blood pressure and raised cholesterol. In total, he was taking 6 different types of medication.

His diabetes was so out of control that he had been told he would need to begin taking insulin. This would have meant the loss of his beloved driving job.

After following the Obsidian Programme, Stephen went home 1½ stone lighter and his diabetes was totally under control without

medication. He was also free of all other medication. Three months later, he has been given the all-clear by his doctor and remains clear of all medication. Stephen says he is “reborn”.

Set in the beautiful countryside of the Costa Blanca, 45 minutes north of Alicante (Spain), Obsidian Retreat is the ideal place to take control and reverse your Type 2 diabetes.

For further information on this cutting-edge programme, visit www.healthretreatspain.com or call (Lo-call) 0843 207 9616

■ Question: Why is it important to be informed and aware about Type 1 diabetes?

■ Answer: Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age but usually appears before the age of 40, and especially in childhood. It can’t be prevented or cured but it can be managed very successfully.

4 · JUNE 2012 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET

Actress Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street, is supporting Diabetes Week because she understands the seriousness of diabetes — and the importance informing people about the expert help and support available.

“Diabetes is a lifelong condition which affects so many people — and yet there’s still so much that people don’t understand. It’s so important that people know how to reduce their risk of de-veloping Type 2 diabetes, that they know about the symptoms and that they know how to ma-nage the condition if they have it. If diagnosed and treated in the right way, early on, diabetes can be managed so that people go on to live long and healthy li-ves. Sadly, if this doesn’t happen, they could develop serious com-plications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blind-ness and amputation.”

Staying on top“Having good control of diabe-tes is really important — after

all, people with the condition live with it every day, taking care of their diet and physical activity levels,” Cleaver points out. “Many people also have to take medication and/or in-sulin. If diabetes isn’t control-led properly, mainly through managing blood glucose and blood pressure levels, then it’s more likely to lead to some of the devastating complications. People with diabetes need the right support to look after themselves so I, along with Di-abetes UK, want to make sure that all people living with the condition receive all the right services they need.”

With the right knowledge, care and support, people with diabetes shouldn’t have to miss out on anything that they want to do, says Cleaver — as she points out, there is constant

CHANGE

INSPIRATION

Keep control and enjoy life

‘It’s so important that people don’t dismiss the symptoms of diabetes, or ignore the risk factors’

Sue Cleaver, Actress and supporter of Diabetes UK

ongoing research into diabe-tes which hopes to make it ea-sier for people with the condi-tion to live healthy lives. In the last few years alone, we’ve seen improvements and advance-ments in technology, such as the insulin pump, which ma-kes living with diabetes much more comfortable.”

Stay alert“It’s so important that people don’t dismiss the symptoms of diabetes, or ignore the risk factors,” says Cleaver. “Alt-hough Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented, approximately 60 per cent of cases of Type 2 diabetes could be prevented — through lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and physical activity.”

“During Diabetes Week,

Diabetes UK is launching a new series of Healthy Lifest-yle roadshows throughout the country, which will as-sess a person’s risk of deve-loping Type 2 diabetes. The assessment is based on seve-ral factors, including age, wa-ist size and family history of diabetes, all of which can af-fect the level of risk of develo-ping Type 2 diabetes. I would encourage all adults to visit www.diabetes.org.uk/Risk score and receive their free risk assessment.”

Diabetes Week 2012 will take place from 10–16 June under the theme ‘Make a Connection’. Visit www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetesweek to find out how to get involved.

EMILY DAVIES

info.uk@mediaplanet.com

JUNE 2012 · 5AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET

SPEAKING UPSue Cleaver is an avid campaigner for Diabetes UK and believes more support is needed for those affectedPHOTO: DIABETES UK

In the UK, there are 3.7 million people living with diabetes; 2.9 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and an

estimated 850,000 people have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it. As many as 7 million people are at high risk of developing Ty-pe 2 diabetes and if current trends continue, an estimated 5

million people will have diabetes by 2025. Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. If not

managed in the correct way, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation.

KEY FACTS

■ Type 1 diabetes develops

if the body cannot produce

any insulin. It usually appears

before the age of 40, especially

in childhood. It is the less

common of the two types

of diabetes and accounts

for around 10 per cent of all

people with diabetes.

■ Type 1 diabetes cannot be

prevented and is treated by daily

insulin doses — taken either by

injections or via an insulin pump

— as well as a healthy diet and

regular physical activity. It is not

known exactly why it develops.

SOURCE: DIABETES UK

■ Type 2 diabetes accounts

for around 90 per cent of

people with diabetes. It is

treated with a healthy diet and

increased physical activity. In

addition, tablets and/or insulin

can be required.

■ Type 2 diabetes develops

when the body can still make

some insulin, but not enough,

or when the insulin that is

produced does not work

properly (known as insulin

resistance). Risk factors for

developing Type 2 diabetes

include family history, ethnicity,

being overweight or having

a large waist, high blood

pressure, heart disease or

having had a heart attack.

■ Type 2 diabetes usually

appears in people over the age

of 40, though in South Asian

people it often appears from

the age of 25.

TYPE 1 DIABETES TYPE 2 DIABETES

6 · JUNE 2012 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabe-tes in June 2011 after my employ-er sent me for an annual health check and the results came back saying my blood sugar was high for a fasting result. I didn’t do any-thing for a couple of months, and then, in June, I went to the GP for a test and got confi rmation that I had Type 2 diabetes.

Up to that point, I had absolute-ly no idea that I had diabetes: I was having a bit of trouble with vertigo and my eyesight sometimes went a bit blurry, but I didn’t connect this at all with diabetes. So, when I was diagnosed, it was a massive shock to me and my family; I thought this was something that just hap-pened to people in their 40s or 50s.

I went through so many emo-tions — anger, depression. I couldn’t understand why me and what I had done to deserve this. Eventually with support from my family, and Zoe, my wife, I was able pick myself up, dust myself down and move forward.

Changes aheadI decided that I had to completely change my lifestyle for the better. At diagnosis I had a BMI of 34 and was

obese, but since then I have lost two and a half stone. I have removed all high fat and high sugar from my di-et. I still spoil myself now and again, but it isn’t half as frequently. I have got myself a personal trainer and go to the gym 3 or 4 times the week — I used training for the BUPA 10k Manchester run for Diabetes UK to focus my training schedule and I have changed my working lifestyle to give more of a work/life balance.

The importance of diagnosisNow I have to take tablets everyday and check my blood, but I do feel a lot better, a lot healthier and I’ve got more energy. If work hadn’t provided me with a private medical screening, my diabetes probably wouldn’t have been picked up — it could have gone much further down the line as I got older, by which time there could have been much more dam-age done and that is frightening.

If anybody thinks that they might be at risk

of diabetes, they should just get a test. It only takes a second and it is too important to ignore. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, it’s not the end of the world and there are ways of managing it. For me, managing my diabetes has actually turned a lot of things in my life around for me — for the better.

Turning my life around

For Jason McEwen, 33, a management consultant from Cheadle, research and development through technology has made all the diff erence to his life following his diagnosis with diabetes: screening and blood checks have enabled him to keep in control and stay as healthy as possible.

Jason McEwen pictured with his wife Zoe. He completed the Bupa Great Manchester Run in 1 hour and 10 minutes in May 2012, raising over £1,500 for Diabetes UK

INSIGHT

Effective managementBlood glucose monitoring is absolutely vital for both

those with Type 1 and Type 2 diabe-tes. It is the key to eff ective man-agement, which in turn is central to good control — which we know avoids complications developing.

AccuracyTechnology today enables far more accurate monitor-

ing, which can be life-changing. It gives you a picture of where you are — if you are having a hypo, or have just had one, for instance — and you can therefore take action accordingly.

Individual needsBlood glucose monitoring needs to be individualised

and tailored to the person: pa-tients need to be able to self-man-age their diabetes, and in order to do so they need the right tools.

UnderstandingAlongside blood glucose monitoring must go educa-

tion — it is vital for all those with diabetes to be informed and as supported as much as possible. Nina Patel, diabetes consultant nurse, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust & Brent Community Services

BLOOD GLUCOSE

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