Worried about type-2 diabetes? Try this free online course

A new online educational course allows people to check whether they are at risk of developing type-2 diabetes and to learn how to live with the condition if they have it.

The free course, developed by Trinity College Dublin and Diabetes Ireland, is aimed at hundreds of thousands of people who either have type-2 diabetes or have been told by their GP they are "pre-diabetes" and need to change their diet and lifestyle.

The course, Diabetes Smart, is a 55-minute series of online videos, quizzes and visual tools that people can access from home.

The primary risk factors for type-2 are being over 40 years of age; overweight, especially around the middle; and physically inactive.

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"The more people know about diabetes, the better they manage it, so the less blindness, limb loss and stroke our population suffer. Diabetes is a nasty condition if it is ignored," says Dr Anna Clarke of Diabetes Ireland.

Up to 1,000 people a week receive a type-2 diagnosis and thousands more are warned they are at risk, according to the charity.

Dr Clarke said behavioural change was usually the first line of treatment and even small adjustments to lifestyle and diet could have a big impact on the risk of getting diabetes.

More information on diabetes.ie