_{10 Sept 2012}

Diabetes cholesterol risk warning

The majority of people with diabetes are not controlling cholesterol levels effectively - putting them at increased risk of heart disease, a charity warns.

Diabetes UK says 90% of people with the disease are having annual checks which will show up problems.

But it says the most recent national diabetes audit found many are not then addressing high cholesterol.

Chief executive Barbara Young said it meant the health of thousands was being put at unnecessary risk.

About 3.7 million people in the UK have diabetes. The majority - about 90% - have Type 2 diabetes, where the body makes too little insulin or where it fails to make it properly. In those with Type 1 diabetes, the body cannot produce any insulin at all.

The audit includes data on 1.9 million people in England with diabetes.

People with both types of the condition have a higher risk of heart disease than the rest of the population.

Cardiovascular disease is linked to 44% of deaths in people with Type 1 and 52% with Type 2.

Diabetes UK says that because of the existence of statins - cholesterol-lowering drugs - it is relatively easy to control high cholesterol.

For more on this see the BBC News website or the Diabetes UK website.