Essential facts Type 1 and type 2 diabetes affect 3.2 million people in the UK. Diabetes is associated with serious complications, including heart disease and stroke, which can lead to disability and premature death. It is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age in the UK. A quarter of people with diabetes will have kidney disease at some point in their lives, and the condition increases the risk of amputation. Good diabetes management has been shown to reduce the incidence of these serious complications.