Analysis of over 3.6 million anonymised electronic patient records collected from UK GP practices suggests that around 1 per cent may have undiagnosed diabetes or glucose intolerance.

Study lead Dr Tim Holt, who is a researcher at Warwick University and a working GP, now plans further research to determine if calling in these at-risk patients would be worthwhile.

‘If it turns out that that is a high number then we've made an important in-road into the problem of diagnosing diabetes,' he said.

rachel.liddle@haymarket.com

Comment below and tell us what you think