What is Diabetes?

Introduction

Diabetes is the name given to a group of different conditions in which there is too much glucose in the blood. The pancreas either cannot make insulin or the insulin it does make is not enough and cannot work properly. Without insulin doing its job, glucose builds up in the blood leading to high blood glucose levels which cause the health problems linked to diabetes.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 is less common usually affecting children and young adults but it can occur at any age. Type 2 is a lifestyle disease affecting 85–90% of all people with diabetes. It usually occurs in adults but younger people and even children are now getting this lifestyle disease.

In this Section

• What actually goes wrong?
• Are there different types of diabetes?
• Type 1
• Type 2
• What is pre-diabetes?
• What are the main symptoms of diabetes?
• How is diabetes managed?
• What do I aim for and why?
• Who will help me?
• Basic guidelines for looking after your diabetes

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