The incidence of type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom from 1991 to 2010

Aims To characterize the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the UK over the previous 20 years; and determine if there has been an increase in people aged 40 years or less at diagnosis. Methods For this retrospective cohort study, patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 1991 and 2010 were identified from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Patient data were grouped into 5‐year intervals by year of diagnosis and age at diagnosis. A standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was determined (1991–1995 = 100). The percentage of newly diagnosed patients for each age group and aged ≤40 years was calculated for each 5‐year calendar period. The incidence rate by age and 5‐year calendar period was also determined. Results In 2010, the crude incidence rate of type 2 diabetes was 515 per 100,000 population. The overall SIR increased to 158 (95% CI 157–160, p