Diabetes at critical levels, committee warned

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

Diabetes Federation of Ireland chairman Dr Tony O’Sullivan warned that almost 30% of the 350,000 people in Ireland who have diabetes do not know they have the metabolic disorder.

A further 100,000 people have pre-diabetes which, if detected, can be stabilised by diet, exercise and weight loss to prevent progression to diabetes.