MP Urges Diabetes Testing

10.48.11am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 17th Oct 2005

After helping to promote a diabetes test in the House of Commons, along with Olympic rower Sir Stephen Redgrave and others, Vincent Cable MP urged constituents to ensure that they have a regular test through their GP or pharmacist: "it seems that between half and a third of all diabetes sufferers go undetected. A condition which is treatable can develop to a serious stage without being detected. There are many people for whom more exercise and a better diet would save them from a potentially dangerous illness. In the House of Commons we participated in a very simple blood test, involving pricking the fingers, and within 10 seconds or so we had a result. If more people appreciated how straight-forward it is to be tested it would be possible to pick up the missing million people who have diabetes but don't know it."