UK ‘falling behind’ when it comes to diabetes diagnosis, study says

The UK is falling behind other high-income countries when it comes to the diagnosis of diabetes, a new study has found.

Just under three-quarters (74.2 per cent) of people with diabetes are estimated to have been diagnosed in the UK, compared with an average of 79.5 per cent for all high-income nations.

In Canada, some 86 per cent of cases have been diagnosed, while diagnosis rates in the US stand at around 82.8 per cent, according to a study comparing the detection and treatment rates of diabetes in countries around the world.

Researchers, led by academics at the University of Washington in Seattle, in the US, estimated that in 2023, some 77.5 per cent of patients aged 15 and over in western European countries had received a diagnosis.

Among western European countries, only Switzerland and France had lower diagnosis rates than the UK.

Researchers pointed out how complications linked to diabetes “can be averted with timely and appropriate diagnosis”.

“We find major gaps in diagnosing, treating, and managing diabetes globally, with substantial variation between countries,” the authors of the report wrote in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

“Despite improvements over the past two decades, underdiagnosis and suboptimal glycaemic management of diabetes remain major challenges globally, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries.

“These findings highlight the urgent need for enhanced strategies and capacity building to improve the detection, treatment, and management of diabetes worldwide.”

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 8 September 2025