What is Diabetes?

Overview

Diabetes is the name given to a group of different conditions in which there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood.

Glucose is the main source of energy for the body and comes from carbohydrate foods we eat. Carbohydrate foods include bread, pasta, rice, cereals, fruits, starchy vegetables and milk and yoghurt. The body breaks carbohydrates down to glucose which then enters the blood stream. For glucose to enter the cells and be used for energy, a hormone called insulin must be available.

Diabetes occurs when the body either does not make insulin or when the insulin that is produced by the pancreas is not working properly. This leads to increased blood glucose levels and diabetes.

The 3 main types of diabetes are: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and Gestational.

The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

type 1

type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed and can no longer produce insulin to transport the glucose from the blood into the cells of the body for energy.  This causes the blood glucose levels to rise dramatically. People who develop type 1 diabetes will usually seek medical advice quickly as they can become seriously ill from the onset of the disease.  It is not caused by lifestyle factors and cannot be prevented.

type 1 diabetes accounts for 10 -15% of all cases of diagnosed diabetes.

type 2

type 2 diabetes occurs when the beta cells in the pancreas still function and produce insulin but this insulin is not working as effectively as it should (this is often called insulin resistance). The effect is a rise in blood glucose levels.  People who develop type 2 diabetes often do not seek medical advice as the symptoms develop slowly and may not be obvious and are often diagnosed through other medical conditions.

type 2 diabetes results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.  Risk is greatly increased by lifestyle factors such as high blood pressure, being overweight or obese, insufficient physical activity and poor dietary choices.

type 2 diabetes accounts for 85 -90% of all cases of diagnosed diabetes.

The incidence of diabetes

type 1

50% of the cases of type 1 diabetes occurs in children and young adults, although it can occur at any age.

Approximately 1825 Australians are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year and the incidence is increasing at 3.2% per year.

type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases in developed nations.

It affects over 140,000 people in Australia.

type 2

From the 1999–2000 AusDiab study, it has been estimated that nearly 840,000 Australian adults aged 25 years or above had type 2 diabetes in 1999–2000, which constitutes 7.1% of the population.

The treatment for diabetes

type 1

The treatment for type 1 diabetes is life long multiple daily injections of insulin or through having a constant supply of insulin through using an insulin pump.  This is combined with blood glucose monitoring, following a healthy eating plan and physical activity.

type 2

The treatment of type 2 diabetes is a combination of following a healthy eating plan, physical activity and blood glucose monitoring. Medication in the form of tablets or insulin may also be required.

Both types of diabetes require involvement of an extended health care team to help assist in the management and ongoing education of diabetes.

Statistics

• Diabetes is Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease
• Approximately 1,000,000 Australians are officially diagnosed with diabetes and for every one diagnosed with type 2 diabetes another is undiagnosed.
• Approximately 275 people in Australia are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every day.
• 1 person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every 7 minutes
• Between 3 – 8 % of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes
• There is currently no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Link: http://www.ndss.com.au/Australian-Diabetes-Map/Map/

Further Information

Click here to view our Information Sheets available for download.