Drive to identify diabetes risk in Newtownabbey

Diabetes UK Northern Ireland and MediCare Pharmacy Group have joined forces in a bid to identify people who may be as risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Throughout December, 19 MediCare pharmacies across Northern Ireland, including those at Antrim Road in Glengormley and Beverley Shops in Carnmoney, are offering Diabetes UK Risk Assessments to customers.

The assessments will assess a person’s risk of getting Type 2 diabetes within ten years and categorise it from low (one in 20) to increased risk (one in 10), moderate risk (one in 7) and finally high risk (one in 3). The trained pharmacy staff will then give advice on what people can do to reduce their risk.

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Iain Foster, Director of Diabetes UK Northern Ireland, said: “We believe that working with MediCare will help us to reach out to the thousands of people who are at risk of Type 2 diabetes and to those who remain undiagnosed. It is extremely important that people are diagnosed early so they can get the treatment they need and avoid serious complications.”

If diabetes is not managed effectively and the blood glucose levels do not stay as close to normal as possible, it can lead to long-term complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation.

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