Disease profile: A marked increase in the number of people with diabetes between 1991 and 2001 has been reported as part of a major study into the prevalence of disease.
Doctors at the Birmingham research unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), analysed data on over 325,000 people who attended family doctors in England and Wales. As well as a 50 per cent increase in the number of people with diabetes in the 10-year period, they noted significant increases in the diagnosis of high blood pressure and thyroid problems.
The researchers looked at information gathered by the weekly returns service of the RCGP from 38 general practices. Their report, published in the current edition of the British Journal of General Practice, is based on the number of people consulting their GP within a 12-month period with a specific condition (the annual prevalence rate).
The changing nature of disease prevalence, in a population similar to that of the Republic, is revealed in results which show a reduction in infectious diseases and accidents. Respiratory disease also showed a decrease. However, there has been an increase of a third in the number of people with hypertension (high blood pressure). While there was little change in the overall numbers with diseases of the circulation, the number of men having heart attacks dropped by 24 per cent.
Prostate cancer was the commonest cancer among males, increasing by over 100 per cent between 1991 and 2001. Part of this increase is because of better diagnostic testing rather than a rise in the prevalence of the condition, the authors noted.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Niall O'Cleirigh, chairman of the Communications Committee of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) said the results were applicable here, as the countries are close in epidemiological terms.
"Traditionally, the population of England and Ireland are similar and since we have moved to a multicultural society, this is even more the case. For any of the statistics in this study, there must be similar trends in Ireland."
Researchers found a significant drop of 23 per cent in all types of infectious disease seen by family doctors. Dr O'Cleirigh questioned whether this could be a sign that patients had taken on board the message that the majority of infections are viral in nature and that self-medication rather than medical assistance was appropriate.
Dr Douglas Fleming and his co-authors said: "The prevalence of ischaemic heart disease (angina and heart attacks) has scarcely changed because of improvements in survival prospects and because sufferers are managed more actively". Dr O'Cleirigh agreed that the more active management of acute chest pain was a factor in the prevalence of heart disease.
The large increases in both diabetes and high blood pressure reflected the obesity epidemic, Dr O'Cleirigh said, with the overall increase in chronic medical conditions a significant factor in the increasing workload of general practitioners.
"These results demonstrate the dynamic nature of medical care. They also provide a rational basis for resource allocation," the British researchers concluded.