An all-Ireland register of diabetes sufferers is urgently needed, the author of a major new study on the condition said today.
Dr Kevin Balanda, chairman of the Irish Diabetes Prevalence Working Group, which issued a report for the first time today, said a register was needed to help establish undiagnosed cases.
The report, Making Diabetes Count, estimated that over 141,000 adults aged over age 20 have diabetes. The Diabetes Federation of Ireland reckons there are around 200,000 undiagnosed cases.
Over 82,000 women and nearly 59,000 men suffer from the condition according to the figures, which estimate both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases.
Some 14,240 people have Type 1 diabetes including 8,193 men, while around 129,052 people, including 77,333 women, have Type 2 diabetes.
While the rate in the Republic is lower than that in the North and Great Britain, Dr Balanda said this was due to the lower age profile. Another reason is that certain ethnic groups more common in than UK than Ireland, have a genetic predisposition to the condition.
Diabetes more often affects over 60s, though increased obesity in the general population is leading to more incidences in lower age groups. It is caused by low insulin levels in affecting the body's ability to regulate blood/sugar levels.
"Early diagnosis and the appropriate management of diabetes is essential to reduce the occurrence of serious complications down the road.
"We need to focus on filling in the information gaps now particularly in relation to overweight and obesity rates, ethnicity and the number of diagnosed cases of diabetes." Dr Balanda said.