According to a new study published in BMJ Open, the number of individuals with pre-diabetes who proceed to develop type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been declining over the past two decades in the UK.
The study led by researchers at the University of Manchester analysed data of 148,363 participants with pre-diabetes or non-diabetic hyperglycaemia (NDH) identified from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 2000 and 2015.
Between 2000 and 2015, 1.6 per cent of the individuals converted to T2D after a month, 4.2 per cent converted after six months and 20.4 per cent converted after four years. The diagnosis of pre-diabetes/NDH became much more common over time, increasing from 0.07 per cent in 2000 to 1.85 per cent in 2015. Despite rising cases of pre-diabetes/NDH, fewer individuals converted to T2D, with the annual conversion rate dropping from 8 per cent in 2000 to 4 per cent in 2014.
According to the authors, the declining conversion to T2D could be attributed to a combination of preventative efforts of the NHS and changing definitions of non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
Lead author Dr Rathi Ravindrarajah said: "The reduction in conversion rates reflects changes in the definition of pre-diabetes and to some extent NDH, at least in the UK, with people diagnosed with NDH more recently having lower conversion risks. This has implications for interventions, like the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme."
