Diabetes in Oxfordshire

Diabetes is a growing health problem. There are currently over 28,000 people registered as having diabetes in Oxfordshire and about 2,200 are newly diagnosed each year.  Oxfordshire has a large proportion (16.4%) of residents from ethnic minority groups. Almost 9% of the Oxfordshire population are from the Black and Asian ethnic group who are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes and You

Diabetes types

There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2 and although diabetes cannot presently be cured, it can be controlled and you can lead a full and active life.

  • Type 1 diabetes is when there is a severe lack of insulin in the body. Most, or all, of the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin have been destroyed. People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are usually children or young people, under the age of 40 years and need to inject insulin from the time of diagnosis.
  • Type 2 diabetes develops due to two reasons. First the body still produces some insulin, although not enough for its needs, or second, the insulin that the body produces does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40 and its diagnosis is closely linked to obesity, getting older and taking less activity.

 Would you like to find out more?

There is a wide range of information available from the Diabetes UK website for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They have also information available in a number of different languages.

  • Those who are newly diagnosed will find all essential information, access to on-line education resources and much more here.
  • There is a range of information available for for children, teenagers and their parents.
  • Oxfordshire Children’s Diabetes Service website offers a wide range of information about the local services, clinics and more.
  • Most areas of care in diabetes are relevant to all age groups but there are some specific changes due to growing older which might affect your diabetes.

  There are other voluntary organisations in the UK that can provide further information and learning about your diabetes including

Understanding of your condition and self-management are very important and will help you to be in better control of your diabetes. This means that you need to understand that you may have to deal with short-term or long-term complications as a result of diabetes.

Both long and short-term complications can impact various parts of your body including eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves and feet. Regular check-ups are essential to help manage the condition. Please read further information about how to reduce the risks of developing these complications.