LONDON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Half of all people of South Asian, African and African Caribbean descent living in Britain will develop diabetes by age 80, scientists said on Monday in research which also points to an alarming future for rates of the disease in Africa and Asia.
In the first study to reveal the extent of ethnic differences in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers said it seems a "Westernised" lifestyle of urban living with a poor diet and a lack of exercise could prove "toxic" for many British blacks and Asians.
The study, which tracked 5,000 Londoners for more than 20 years, found that by age 80, twice as many South Asian, African and African Caribbean men and women had developed diabetes compared with Europeans of the same age.
This means that approximately half of all South Asians, Africans and African Caribbeans in Britain will develop the disease by age 80 compared with only one in five of European descent, the researchers said.
"I think people underestimate the size of the problem," said Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), who was not involved in the study but commented on it at a briefing in London. "This is a huge number of people...and it causes a significant problem both for the individuals themselves and for the health service."
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition characterised by insulin resistance that affects around 2.9 million people in Britain and, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 310 million people worldwide.
In the UK, an estimated 11.9 billion pounds ($19.1 billion) a year is spent on treating diabetes and its complications which include heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease and blindness.
Health experts have known for some time that people of South Asian, African and African Caribbean descent in Britain are at higher risk of becoming diabetic in mid-life, but they were not clear why, or whether the extra risk continues as people age.
URBAN ENVIRONMENT IS "TOXIC"
For the study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers led by Nish Chaturvedi at Imperial College London looked at people aged between 40 and 69 who did not have type 2 diabetes, and from 1988 recorded those who developed the disease.
The team found that while Africans, African Caribbeans and Europeans tend to be diagnosed at around the same age of 66-67 years, South Asian men were five years younger on average when diabetes was diagnosed, meaning they are at even greater risk of complications.
The study also found that people who have increased resistance to the effects of insulin, as well as those who carry fat around the middle of the body when they are middle-aged, are at higher risk of developing the disease.
The researchers said their findings suggested the higher rate of diabetes in some South Asian and African Caribbean women is due to greater rates of obesity and higher resistance to insulin, which helps the body process sugar.
Chaturvedi said diets rich in high-calorie foods, combined with lifestyles which include little physical exercise, were the main factor behind the increased rates. "The urban environment is a toxic environment," she told the briefing.
Therese Tillin, also from Imperial, said the findings highlighted "astonishingly high risk of diabetes in middle-aged people in our ethnic minorities" and should serve as an early warning for countries in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for what might come as populations adopt Westernised, urban lifestyles.
A WHO report in May showed rates of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease are already rising fast in poorer regions such as Asia and Africa as lifestyles and diets change.
($1 = 0.6240 British pounds) (Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Diana Abdallah)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.