New study shows record rise in UK insulin use

The growing burden of diabetes in the UK has been highlighted by a new study showing a sharp rise in the number of people using insulin over the last two decades.

Conducted by the universities of Cardiff and Bristol, the research discovered that the number of patients receiving prescriptions for insulin between 1991 and 2010 trebled from 136,800 to 421,300, due to a large increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes using the drug.

It was also found that the number of people receiving prescriptions for insulin for type 2 diabetes during the period overtook the number of patients with the type 1 variant. This in turn has led to a substantial rise in the amount of money spent by the NHS on purchasing this medication.

Craig Currie, professor of applied pharmacoepidemiology at Cardiff University's school of medicine, said: "The increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes using insulin is a wake-up call for all – not only in terms of lifestyle choices and how we treat people with type 2 diabetes."

This comes after a University of Cambridge report earlier this week revealed that eating more yoghurt could be an effective way of helping people to minimise their risk of contracting type 2 diabetes.