News

3rd December 2004

Diabetes - Apocolypse Now

London MEP John Bowis, chairman of the European Union Diabetes Working Group, is calling on the British government to make diabetes a priority issue during its presidency of the EU next year.

"Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions with 30 million people in Europe living with the disease. It is a leading cause of death - reducing life expectancy by 15 years," says Mr Bowis. "Diabetes complications alone are costing the NHS between five and 10 per cent of total health care spending."

Top of new EU health commissioner Marcos Kyprianou's in-tray is a call for action on diabetes by John Bowis. "We want a European strategy for diabetes - looking at prevention, diagnosis and control - and are asking all national governments to make it a priority disease in their national health policies," he says. In addition to increased funding for coordinated research, pooling of best practice and national diabetes policies, screening programmes, lifestyle awareness campaigns and early intervention will help cut the burgeoning costs of diabetes on national health care budgets… and save lives.

Diabetes is above all else an unhealthy lifestyle issue - with nutrition problems accounting for 85-95 per cent of all diabetics. Currently type 2 diabetes, usually affecting people over the age of 40, costs £10 billion in the EU. It is treated by diet and tablets - type one is treated by diet and insulin injections and affects the under 40s - but can lead to complications including heart disease, kidney disease, lower limb amputations and adult blindness.

There are big differences in the budgets for diabetes research in the EU and America, with the US spending 10 times more (£520m). Heads of government within the EU have already agreed to increase R&D funding to 3% of GDP and a recent conference in Brussels, chaired by John Bowis, identified areas where EU investment will be most effective. The European Association for the Study of Diabetes says the pooling of funds from the European Commission, national governments, NGOs and industry could raise £66m as a start-up research fund for diabetes.

"The diabetes epidemic - estimated to effect 50% of the population of Europe by 2030 - has to be recognised as a major British and European public health issue" warns John Bowis.