Health experts have warned that diabetes is reaching national crisis level after new research showed one third of families in Ireland have a relative suffering from the disease.

ALMOST 180,000 people in Ireland could have undetected diabetes or signs of developing the condition that can be prevented by lifestyle changes.

IT’S true what they say: fat children become fat adults.

THE estimated in-patient cost of treating preventable diabetic foot disease in Ireland was a staggering €239 million between 2005-2009, the Diabetes Federation of Ireland has claimed.

A BREAKTHROUGH by scientists at Trinity College could prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes, affecting about 14% of over 40s and which is obesity related.

A SUPPORT group for diabetes patients has advised people with the disease to keep taking a controversial popular drug despite concerns it can increase the risk of heart attacks.

DAN O’CONNOR has already lost half a leg to diabetes, and saving the other depends largely on access to a podiatrist, a professional who identifies and treats diabetics at risk of foot ulceration, which, if untreated, can lead to amputations.

MORE than 300 diabetes patients could be spared the pain of amputation each year if the Health Service Executive (HSE) invested in more footcare specialists, according to doctors who treat the condition.

Almost one third of Irish people think they are overweight, a new survey revealed today

A EUROPEAN-WIDE awareness campaign for people suffering from neuropathic pain has been launched.

TEENAGERS with diabetes feel ignored when it comes to managing their condition, a new report reveals.

AGREED plans to offer potentially life-changing services for people with diabetes have been scuppered.

A SEVERELY physically and mentally disabled man is to lose three quarters of his disability allowance towards the cost of his respite care.

I AM a parent of a child who has type 1 diabetes and chairperson of the parents support group in Cork.

THANK you for highlighting (September 1) a condition that I have worked tirelessly to try to alleviate — diabetes.

AT NUMBER one in the Irish Heart Foundation’s top 10 chart for fighting cardiovascular disease is the appointment of more cardiologists.

AS the national charity for heart disease and stroke, the Irish Heart Foundation fully supports the views of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland and Prof John Nolan of St James’s Hospitalurging the Government to take a preventative approach to combat the rise in diabetes and obesity (Irish Examiner, November 14).

DIABETES specialists have called for a radical overhaul of what it describes as the State’s current shorted-sighted, costly and inefficient system of diabetes care.

PARENTS of children with diabetes will picket Munster’s biggest hospital again this morning after a year of frustration and empty promises.

PEOPLE with diabetes are ending up in hospital casualty units around the country because of a chronic shortage of specialist services that could keep them well, the Diabetes Federation of Ireland (DFI) has claimed.

HUNDREDS of people have been told to see their GP urgently after a routine public health screening event for diabetes revealed shocking results.

Sixty thousand people in Ireland suffer from diabetes unaware they have the life-threatening condition, it was revealed today.

IT costs hospitals around €147,000 a day to treat patients with pneumococcal disease, according to a new campaign urging people at risk to get vaccinated against the infection.

IRELAND spends hundreds of millions of euro annually treating preventable complications in diabetes patients, but has no national strategy to tackle the growing health issue.

DIABETES is no longer a threat but a current crisis that is impacting heavily on Irish lives, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

PARENTS have been warned to reduce sweets and other high-calorie treats in their children’s diet if they want them to stay healthy and avoid becoming overweight.

Food vending machines should be banned in primary schools and more physical activity offered in a bid to tackle the growing obesity epidemic among children, a new report urged today.

UP TO 200,000 people in this country don’t know they have diabetes — a potentially fatal condition.

Mary Dundon, Political Reporter

A SPECIALIST in diabetes treatment has warned that more patients could die or suffer amputations if extra resources are not provided to tackle waiting lists.

Over 1,500 children are suffering from extreme cases of diabetes in Ireland - and this figure will rise, it was warned today.

The Diabetes Federation of Ireland is holding a charity fun cycle this morning in aid of diabetes.

The Diabetes Federation of Ireland has launched the details of a new fund raising campaign for Irish-based diabetes research.

The Diabetes Federation of Ireland will establish a screening facility in Leinster House today to mark World Diabetes Day.