12
NEWS
Depression is a risk factor
for T2D
BP checks at
barbers
The NHS is expanding blood
pressure checks available in
local communities -including
barbershops, mosques and at
a dominoes club - as part of a
major drive to prevent strokes and
heart attacks.
Thanks to the learning from the
NHS covid vaccination programme,
local teams are reaching out into
their neighbourhoods to find
potential health problems before
they become more serious for
patients at locations that are
most convenient.
The checks in local communities
across the country include a mobile
blood pressure service in Barnsley
called 'How's Thi Ticker' (sic) which
travels around local neighbourhoods
including to barber shops,
supermarkets, and community
centres, seeing more than a third
of people referred to pharmacists
with high blood pressure - freeing
up GPs and catching early signs of
heart attack and stroke risk.
New funding as part of the
primary care access recovery plan
will see a further 2.5 million blood
pressure checks in community
pharmacies, estimated to prevent
more than 1,350 cardiovascular
events each year - 113 heart attacks
and strokes every month.
David Webb, Chief
Pharmaceutical Officer for
England, said: "With the number of
people living with major illnesses
including heart disease and other
cardiovascular conditions set
to grow substantially over the
coming years, it has never been
more important to put in place
preventative measures like easy
to access blood pressure checks
that can pick up the early signs and
risks, with figures showing teams
are on track to prevent more than
1,300 heart attacks and strokes this
year alone".
To read more, CLICK HERE.
New CEO at Diabetes UK
Diabetes UK has appointed of
Colette Marshall as its new Chief
Executive, to replace departing
CEO Chris Askew.
Ms Marshal has been Diabetes
UK's Director of Services,
Volunteering and Local Impact
since 2013, having previously held
senior operational roles at MEND,
which provided programmes for
families living with overweight, and
Save the Children.
On accepting the role Ms
Marshall said: "I am excited to take
the helm at this time for Diabetes
UK, and I look forward to working
with the diabetes community,
colleagues and partners to meet the
challenges ahead."
She began her new role on
21 September 2023.
To read more, CLICK HERE.
Depression can play a direct role in
the development of Type 2 diabetes,
according to new research.
A Diabetes UK-funded study,
published in Diabetes Care, used
genetic data from hundreds of
thousands of people in the UK
and Finland to shed new light on
the complex relationship between
depression and Type 2 diabetes.
Previous research had indicated
that people with Type 2 diabetes
are approximately twice as likely to
experience depression compared
to those without diabetes and
that people with depression have
a higher risk of developing Type
2 diabetes. But until now it wasn't
clear if depression caused Type 2, or
vice versa, or if other factors were
responsible for the link between the
two conditions.
The analysis revealed for the first
time that depression directly causes
an increased risk of developing Type
2 diabetes, with higher bodyweight
partly, but not wholly, explaining
the effects of depression on Type 2
diabetes.
However, there was no evidence
of a cause-and-effect relationship of
Type 2 diabetes on the development
of depression. However, there are
indirect links between the conditions,
with both affected by common risk
factors such as obesity and low levels
of physical activity. The demands of
living with the relentless day-to-day
burden of Type 2 diabetes can also be
a factor in developing depression.
The researchers suggest people
with a history of depression should
be assessed for their risk of Type 2
diabetes, so they can be supported to
avoid developing the condition.
Colette Marshall, new Chief
Executive at Diabetes UK.