Diabetes: free community health screenings for anyone aged over 40 who lives, works or studies in Barnet

We marked World Diabetes Day

We marked World Diabetes Day earlier this week. Many people can have Type 2 diabetes without realising it, because the symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell. That’s why we’re offering free community health screenings for anyone aged over 40 who lives, works or studies in Barnet. Find out more: www.barnet.gov.uk/healthscreen

Did you know…?

• Over 4 million people in the UK have diabetes, and 90% have type 2 diabetes, which is preventable.
• By following a healthy diet and active lifestyle and knowing the signs and symptoms to look out for, we can prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
• Living with diabetes without a diagnosis can put you at risk of very serious life-changing complications.

The symptoms to look out for are:

• peeing more than usual, particularly at night
• feeling thirsty all the time
• feeling very tired
• losing weight without trying to
• itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
• cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
• blurred vision

You’re more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you:

• are over 40 (or 25 for south Asian people)
• have a close relative with diabetes (such as a parent, brother or sister)
• are overweight or obese
• are of Asian, African-Caribbean or black African origin (even if you were born in the UK)