There has been an alarming rise in the number of diabetes cases in the UK – prompting a stark warning from health experts.

The number of people suffering from the condition rose by 167,000 since last year, bringing the total number to 2.5 million.

Diabetes UK chief executive Douglas Smallwood described the figures as “truly alarming”.

“The NHS already spends one million pounds an hour on diabetes,” he explained.

“The soaring diabetes prevalence will continue to put a massive strain on an already struggling NHS and unless it can respond, people’s health could spiral downwards.

“We need to do all we can to raise awareness of the seriousness of diabetes and help people understand how a healthy lifestyle can help reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

The latest increase is more than double the 2006 to 2007 rise of 83,000.

In England, a 6.4% increase means the number of people with diabetes has passed two million for the first time.

Over the same period, the proportion of people with diabetes rose by 6.8% in Northern Ireland and 6% in Wales.

Scotland saw the biggest rise in the UK – 16.7% – partly because of an improved recording of cases.

Around 90% of people with diabetes have the type 2 form of the disease which is strongly associated with obesity and lifestyle.

There are now around five million obese people in the UK, compared with almost 4.8 million last year.

As well as the people diagnosed with the disease, there are thought to be more than 500,000 people in the UK who have type 2 diabetes but do not know it.

The condition can go undetected for up to 10 years.

Half of people with the disease already have symptoms and complications by the time they are diagnosed, according to Diabetes UK.

The charity recently launched its Silent Assassin awareness campaign to promote awareness of diabetes and its effects.

Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK, causing heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness, and more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined.

Via news.sky.com