400,000 Dutch People Living with Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

An estimated 400,000 Dutch people unknowingly have type 2 diabetes. That concludes the Dutch Cohorts Consortium Tuesday after research commissioned by the Diabetes Fund. Unnoticed, diabetes can lead to serious and lasting health problems, warns lead researcher Miranda Schram, professor of diabetes epidemiology.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin. Type 2, on the other hand, is the variant that is mainly caused by obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle, where the blood sugar level remains too high due to built-up resistance to insulin. People can get rid of type 2 diabetes at an early stage through lifestyle changes.

According to the Diabetes Fund, half of all people with type 2 diabetes will eventually experience serious complications. This may involve nerve damage and eye problems, but also dementia, kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

How is it possible that so many people do not realize that they have type 2 diabetes?

“Diabetes is a silent killer, because the complaints are quite vague. People are more tired, are more thirsty, drink more and have to go to the toilet more often. These are complaints that can belong to more diseases and for which people do not immediately go to the doctor. That is the most important step to take for people at increased risk if you have these types of complaints.

“The high sugar levels in your blood cause serious damage to your eyes, kidneys and probably also to the brain in the long term. It can be easily treated with medication, a healthy lifestyle or insulin. This prevents damage from occurring, but the longer you live with high sugar levels, the more damage you develop. While lifestyle changes at an early stage can be enough to prevent damage.”

Were you shocked by your conclusion?

“The number is really alarming. On the one hand I am shocked, on the other hand we have been seeing a large group of people with prediabetes, the precursor to diabetes, for some time now. The increase is therefore not that surprising. It is the logical consequence of a development that we have been seeing for years. The Dutch are simply getting fatter. We exercise less, eat less healthily and are more overweight.”

How did you arrive at the number 400,000?

“We have managed to combine eleven long-term, large-scale cohort studies, in which people have been followed for years, for the first time. Some of these studies have been running for forty years and they are spread throughout the Netherlands. In total, more than 200,000 people participated in this study. This has allowed us to draw very reliable conclusions.”

What should be done now?

“If we do not intervene, this trend will continue. So I would really like to call on people to keep an eye on their risk of diabetes themselves.” The Diabetes Fund launched one for this purpose risk test. After completing eight simple questions about, for example, waist circumference and the occurrence of diabetes in the family, you will know whether you are at greater risk.

“But I also call on politicians to ensure a healthier environment. Healthy food must become cheaper and the easiest choice. And we must exercise more.”

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