Only 49% of the general public in England are aware of the heart and kidney risks associated with type 2 diabetes
Ipsos, on behalf of AstraZeneca UK, conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,701 adults in England (400 people living with type 2 diabetes and 1,301 members of the general public) to explore awareness and perceptions of heart and kidney (cardiorenal) disease risk, the extent of shared decision-making, and interest in patient-facing digital tools.
Results shown are based on weighted data to reflect the population profiles of the general public and a representative sample of people with type 2 diabetes. A weighted base of 1,327 is reported for the general public. For information on quotas, weighting, methodology, sample information, and more detailed results, please see the full report linked below.
Please note, the term ‘cardiorenal’ refers to heart and kidney, e.g. cardiorenal risk, means risk of heart or kidney disease.
Key findings:
Awareness and perceptions of cardiorenal risk
- More people with type 2 diabetes show higher awareness of the complications associated with type 2 diabetes than the general public, but gaps remain around cardiorenal risk.
- Among people with type 2 diabetes, 76% were aware of the risk of developing kidney disease and 69% of developing heart disease; fewer than half of the general public (49%) were aware of these risks.
- Most people with type 2 diabetes tend not to feel personally at high risk of heart and kidney disease and feel they know how to reduce the risk, while the general public perceives the risk to be higher but is less sure how to lower it.
- Amongst people with type 2 diabetes, knowledge of different health tests and why they are conducted does exist; 62% were aware that urine tests were linked to kidney health and 78% were aware that blood pressure tests were linked to heart health. However, only 11% were aware that blood pressure tests were linked to kidney health.
Shared decision-making
- 89% of the general public believe they are involved in healthcare decisions with their healthcare professional.
- 61% of the general public would like to be more involved, with greater involvement typically wanted in decisions about treatment or medication.
- 84% of people with type 2 diabetes feel involved in decisions about reducing their risk of developing heart disease, and 82% feel involved in these decisions related to the risk of developing kidney disease. However, at the last healthcare professional visit, only 12% of people with type 2 diabetes discussed the risk of developing heart disease and 10% discussed the risk of developing kidney disease, with 60% stating they discussed test results.
Information sources and digital use
- Reminders from their GP practice or pharmacist is the most used resource for people with type 2 diabetes’ to help manage their health.
- A greater proportion of the general public have used online sources such as the NHS website and search engines; smartphone apps and friends/family are also used more by the general public than by people with type 2 diabetes.
- NHS App usage stands at 58% among the general public and 42% among people with type 2 diabetes; 39% of people with type 2 diabetes report not using any health apps.
Tools for assessing cardiorenal risk
- Existing digital tools to assess heart or kidney disease risk are not well known among either people with type 2 diabetes or the general public.
- Preferred ways to learn about heart and kidney health are via healthcare professionals or online sources, with a need for clear and credible information.
GB-72612 Date of preparation: December 2025
