"British" people of South Asian, African or African Caribbean descent are significantly more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than their European counterparts

Half had developed the disease by the age of 80 in a study of 4,200 people living in London - approximately twice the figure for Europeans. Losing control of blood sugar levels increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. People from South Asian backgrounds can often be living with the condition for around 10 years before they are diagnosed, which increases the risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation.