Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood are too high. Blood glucose levels are normally regulated by the hormone insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Diabetes occurs when there is a problem with this hormone and how it works in the body. The two main types of diabetes are type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent).

Our body relies on blood glucose for energy. Insulin stimulates the body’s cells to use this glucose as energy to fuel a wide range of functions. When a person has diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t respond adequately to the hormone.

Around 7.4 per cent of Australians aged 25 years or older have diabetes. The risk of diabetes increases with age: from 2.5 per cent in people aged between 35–45 years to 23.6 per cent in those over 75. Aboriginal people have one of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the world.

The two main types of diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is:

• Caused by an autoimmune destruction of insulin-making cells in the pancreas, which means insulin is no longer made
• One of the most common chronic childhood illnesses in developed nations
• Most common in people under the age of 30, but can occur at any age
• Sometimes called insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

• Caused by either inadequate levels of insulin or a failure of the body’s cells to respond properly to insulin – most people have both of these problems
• Most common after the age of 40, although the age of onset can be earlier
• Known to have been diagnosed in overweight teenagers and children
• Often brought on by a lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet
• Frequently, but not always, associated with being overweight, particularly when the excess weight is carried around the waist – it is also common in people with high blood pressure or heart disease
• Found more commonly in people whose close relatives have diabetes; however, the full picture about the role genes play in diabetes (the ‘genetic profile’) has not been worked out yet
• Sometimes called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

• Significant weight loss
• Tiredness and lack of energy
• Excessive thirst
• Blurred vision
• Increased risk of infections, such as thrush
• Frequent urination.

• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Excessive passing of urine
• Altered consciousness
• Coma.

• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Nerve damage to the feet and other parts of the body (neuropathy)
• Heart disease (for example, angina or heart attacks), strokes and circulation problems in the legs
• Sexual difficulties
• Foot ulcers or infections resulting from circulation problems and nerve damage.

• Insulin injections
• A balanced, healthy diet
• Monitoring blood glucose
• Physical activity
• Having regular checks.

• Healthy eating
• Physical activity
• Medications and (potentially) insulin at a later stage
• Weight management
• Monitoring blood glucose
• Smoking cessation
• Having regular checks.

• Your doctor
• Your local community health centre
• Your diabetes specialist
• Diabetes educator
• Diabetes Australia Victoria Tel. 1300 136 588
• Life! Taking Action on Diabetes Tel. 13 RISK (13 7475) – for information about preventing your risk of type 2 diabetes or to take a risk test online
• Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute Specialist Diabetes Clinic Tel. (03) 9258 5000
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Tel. (03) 9696 3866

• People with diabetes have high blood glucose levels, caused by a problem with the hormone insulin.
• The two main types of diabetes are type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent).
• There is no cure, but the symptoms can be controlled with diet, exercise and medication.

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