Posted: 00:01, 28 March 2022 | Updated: 00:20, 28 March 2022
A lifestyle review has saved thousands of people in England from developing type 2 diabetes, research today reveals. The obesity crisis has led to an epidemic of type 2 diabetes, which is linked to being overweight and inactive, with one in ten predicted to have the disease by 2030. However, researchers at the University of Manchester found that the NHS Diabetes Prevention Program resulted in about 18,000 fewer people being diagnosed with it in England between 2018 and 2019. The nine-month program includes group weight loss courses and personalized diet plans that recommend healthier food alternations, such as replacing rice with oatmeal. Participants can wear bracelets that monitor their sleep habits and how often they eat and can set goals. Researchers from the University of Manchester have found that the NHS Diabetes Prevention Program has helped thousands avoid developing type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes such as taking weight loss classes and taking diet plans (file photo) Research from the University of Manchester (pictured) found that there was a 7% drop in new diagnoses for type 2 diabetes in England between 2018 and 2019 – which they believe is due to the NHS program
The drug shrinks gran cancer
A grandmother with advanced bowel cancer saw her tumors shrink in half after taking an experimental drug. Terri Hurdman, 49, was diagnosed in 2020 with cancer that had spread to her lungs. The factory worker from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, took part in an international trial last year at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. The drug, which does not yet have a name, targets a gene that controls the development of cancer. Days after the first dose, her condition improved. And after three months, the scans showed that her tumors had halved. More than four million people in the UK live with type 2 diabetes and the NHS spends 10 10 billion a year on the condition and its complications, which include ulcers, amputations and vision damage. The 18,000 fewer diagnoses associated with the NHS program represent a 7 percent reduction in new cases between 2018 and 2019. One million patients have been referred to the program since it started in 2016. And those who complete it reduce the risk of developing the disease by 37%, according to the research, which will be presented at the Professional Diabetes Congress in the UK this week. Health Minister Sajid Javid said the results were “excellent”, adding: “It is vital that we focus on prevention and provide advice on healthy eating and exercise.” Tariq Khan, a 35-year-old chef from Birmingham, started the program in 2019 as he was at high risk for type 2 diabetes. He has lost more than 13 pounds (6 kg) in the program and said: “I ate unhealthily and often very slowly. “The program gave me the opportunity to be in control of my health by making changes in my lifestyle.”
