DIABETES

Diabetes is something most of us have heard of, but unless we have it or know someone that does we probably don't give it a second thought.

Globally, Diabetes is recognised as the world’s fastest growing chronic condition with 1 in 11 people having the disease. 37% of all adults with diabetes live in the Western Pacific region.

  • One in two (46.5 per cent) adults with diabetes is undiagnosed

  • 12% of global health expenditure is spent on diabetes (USD$673 billion)

  • One in seven births is affected by gestational diabetes

  • Three-quarters (75%) of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries

  • 542,000 children have type 1 diabetes

  • Every six seconds a person dies from diabetes (5.0 million deaths)

  • In Australia 280 people develop Diabetes everyday - that's 1 person every 5 minutes.

  • 1.8 million Australians have diabetes with 100,000 having developed it in the last year.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious complex condition which can affect the entire body. Diabetes requires daily self care and if complications develop, diabetes can have a significant impact on quality of life and can reduce life expectancy. While there is currently no cure for diabetes, you can live an enjoyable life by learning about the condition and effectively managing it.

There are different types of diabetes; all types are complex and serious. The three main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

How Does Diabetes Affect The Body?

When someone has diabetes, their body can’t maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood.

Glucose is a form of sugar which is the main source of energy for our bodies. Unhealthy levels of glucose in the blood can lead to long term and short term health complications.

For our bodies to work properly we need to convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. A hormone called insulin is essential for the conversion of glucose into energy. In people with diabetes, insulin is no longer produced or not produced in sufficient amounts by the body. When people with diabetes eat glucose, which is in foods such as breads, cereals, fruit and starchy vegetables, legumes, milk, yoghurt and sweets, it can’t be converted into energy.

Instead of being turned into energy the glucose stays in the blood resulting in high blood glucose levels. After eating, the glucose is carried around your body in your blood. Your blood glucose level is called glycaemia. Blood glucose levels can be monitored and managed through self care and treatment.

How Serious Is It?

Diabetes can be managed well but the potential complications are the same for type 1 and type 2 diabetes including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, limb amputation, depression, anxiety and blindness.

We know diabetes:

  • Is the leading cause of blindness in working age adults

  • Is a leading cause of kidney failure and dialysis

  • Increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke by up to four times

  • Is a major cause of limb amputations

  • Affects mental health as well as physical health. Depression, anxiety and distress occur in more than 30% of all people with diabetes

  • Early diagnosis, optimal treatment and effective ongoing support and management reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

What Are The Symptoms?

Common symptoms of diabetes include:

  • excessive thirst or hunger

  • passing more urine than usual

  • feeling tired and lethargic

  • unexplained weight loss (for type 1), or gradual weight gain (for type 2)

  • having cuts that heal slowly

  • itchy skin or skin infections

  • blurred vision

Type 1 diabetes is usually spotted quickly, since symptoms can appear suddenly. Most people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed before the age of 19.

Many people with type 2 diabetes, however, don’t have symptoms at all or have signs that go unnoticed for a long time.

Prevention

Type 1

Currently type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. However, researchers are looking into the autoimmune process and environmental factors that lead people to developing type 1 diabetes to help prevent type 1 diabetes in the future.

Type 2

Evidence, including large-scale randomised control trials, shows type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in up to 58 per cent of cases by maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and following a healthy eating plan.

People at risk of type 2 diabetes can delay and even prevent the condition by:

  • Maintaining a healthy weight

  • Regular physical activity

  • Making healthy food choices

  • Managing blood pressure

  • Managing cholesterol levels

  • Not smoking