The ethnic makeup of Tower Hamlets means levels of diabetes in the borough are higher than elsewhere in the country.
More than 14,500 people are estimated to live with diabetes in the borough, with a further two to three thousand undiagnosed.
Doctors are now offering free screening for people to see if they are at risk.
More than 80,000 people – or 32 per cent of the population – in Tower Hamlets define themselves as Bangladeshis of Asian or British Asian origin.
And people of south Asian descent are six times as likely to have diabetes than the average level.
Furthermore, the disease is one-and-a-half times as common in deprived areas.
Diabetes and screening services manager Alison Powling said: “Diabetes is a growing problem particularly in Tower Hamlets.
“We want to raise awareness among everyone about what they can do to prevent the condition as well as helping those with the condition to manage it more effectively.”
The Diabetes Centre in Mile End Hospital, Bancroft Road, is now set to hold an open day offering free screening and information about the condition on June 11.
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