Over a third of adults are on the verge of developing type-2 diabetes, new research has suggested..
If nothing is done to stop the trend, there will be a steep surge in this form of diabetes within the next few years, a report published in the British Medical Journal has said.
People are classed as having borderline diabetes, also known as pre-diabetes, when they have blood glucose levels at the very high end of the 'normal' range. Those with the condition are at high risk of developing diabetes and its associated complications.
The authors of the study examined data from Health Survey for England for the years 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2011 involving thousands of participants.
People were classed as having pre-diabetes if their glycated haemoglobin – a measure of blood glucose control – was between 5.7 per cent and 6.4 per cent and they had not previously been diagnosed with diabetes.
The results showed an "extremely rapid rise" in pre-diabetes, with people from lower-income families found to be at "substantial risk", the researchers noted.
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