Looking at why type 2 diabetes rates keep rising
Addressing living with diabetes this World Diabetes Day on 14th November.
While blood glucose readings and clinical measures play an important role in diabetes management, they do not tell the whole story of what it is like to live with the condition every day.
Dexcom recently published their State of Type 2 Report that highlighted the impact on healthcare providers to cope with the growing rates of diagnosis of the condition.
The report said: “Diabetes is a growing public health challenge, affecting approximately 4.6 million people in the UK and placing significant pressure on healthcare systems. Of those living with diabetes, 90% have type 2 diabetes and the NHS spends approximately £10 billion annually on diabetes care – 9% of its budget.
“The picture in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa is similar. In Europe, approximately 61 million adults live with diabetes, with numbers projected to reach 69 million by 2045. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the situation is even more critical, with prevalence expected to rise from 73 million in 2021 to nearly 136 million by 2045 – the second highest increase globally. Across both regions, the vast majority (90%) of people with diabetes live with type 2 diabetes.”
Increased prevalence means healthcare providers are looking at new ways to treat the condition.
The report said: “Healthcare professionals ranked access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and education as more impactful than advancements in diabetes medications on the future of type 2 diabetes care, with 52% of healthcare professionals saying better access to CGM has the potential to positively help people living with type 2 diabetes to manage their condition in the next 10 years, compared with 38% who cited more effective medications.
“For insulin treated people living with type 2 diabetes, healthcare professionals across Europe and the Middle East agreed CGM should be the standard of care, with 96% of healthcare professionals saying those using multiple daily injections of insulin should receive CGM and 86% saying those relying on basal insulin should be offered CGM.”
In addition to medication, the emotional and wellbeing impact on people living with type 2 diabetes is increasingly having to be paid attention to by healthcare professionals.
Dr David Cavan, MD FRCP, Consultant Endocrinologist said: “Living with type 2 diabetes involves much more than managing glucose levels. Through my work as a consultant specialising in diabetes, I've seen first-hand the significant emotional impact that managing diabetes can have, not only on those living with the condition but also on their carers.
“The constant need to make decisions about food, activity and treatment can feel overwhelming, particularly when people are unsure how these factors affect their glucose levels.
“This is where technology can make a real difference as it helps to take some of the guesswork out of managing diabetes and ease the stress of navigating the condition day to day. Having access to clear, real-time information about glucose levels can give people greater understanding about what affects their glucose levels and help them feel more confident in making diabetes management decisions.
“For example, the Dexcom ONE+ was designed with the needs of people living with type 2 diabetes in mind, providing automatic, real-time glucose readings and alerts, without the need for routine finger pricking or scanning. By showing how everyday factors such as food, exercise and stress affect glucose levels, it can help people better understand their condition and take a more active role in their management.
“There is also growing evidence of the value of this technology - according to Dexcom's State of Type 2 Report (2026) 89% of healthcare professionals globally say that continuous glucose monitors (CGM) help them assess the effectiveness of treatments between appointments, while more than half of current CGM users report that it helps them follow their treatment plan more closely.
“But diabetes is about so much more than numbers. Everyone's experience is different, and having the opportunity to share those experiences can be incredibly valuable. This World Diabetes Day, I'm working with Dexcom to celebrate people living with diabetes through its 'A Letter to Diabetes' campaign, inviting people to write their own letter to diabetes and reflect on what living with the condition means to them. It's a powerful way to recognise the individual behind every diagnosis and to remind people that they are so much more than their diabetes.”
Read the Dexcom State of Type 2 Report
A letter to diabetes – by Natalie Balmain
Natalie is a Dexcom Warrior, reality TV star and broadcaster from Manchester who lives with type 1 diabetes and is an advocate for diabetes awareness.
Dear Diabetes,
Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance. Three months before my 21st birthday, and you casually strolled in after almost pushing me over the edge. There I was in that hospital, broken, a shadow of my former self, and still you only told me all the bad things at that point. The daily struggle, the pain, the mental load, the potential complications.
But you never told me about any of the good stuff. You never told me that learning to cope with you would be the beginning of my journey of self-confidence. That realising I could manage you, one of the most difficult things I was ever going to be faced with, would make me realise that I could do anything.
You never told me that you were going to be the reason I was introduced to a community that became so much a part of my life, they're like family. That with their support, I was going to grow, become stronger, more resilient, more understanding, and more capable than I ever dreamed I would be.
Because of you, I did things I never thought I would. I've designed clothes, been on the cover of magazines, interviewed by the BBC, gone viral, travelled the world, and even won a reality show. Not so bad for a girl who used to tell herself she couldn't do things before she ever tried. Nowadays, I host a podcast in your honour, and I interview all the other incredible people from this community who deal with you on a daily basis, and guess what? They're all living their best lives too.
I'm not going to lie – you're still scary, and you're constantly exhausting. But I guess you're like most monsters. Everyone knows you're bad, but… I've lived with you long enough to see the good in you now, too.
Forever yours (or are you forever mine?),
Natalie x
World Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day is a global occasion for people with diabetes, healthcare professionals, advocates, policymakers and the public to unite to raise awareness of and take action on diabetes.
The International Diabetes Federation organises World Diabetes Day, recognised on 14th November, and is this year encouraging all in the diabetes community to get involved and take action to support early diabetes detection and risk reduction
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