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What is Diabetes?

It is a disease in which the human body fails to produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

There are three types of the disease:

1. Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an auto-immune disease in which the body does not produce any insulin, most often occurring in children and young adults.
2. Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a metabolic disorder stemming from the body’s inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. It is strongly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases.
3. Gestational diabetes which is first recognised during pregnancy.

What causes diabetes?

The exact cause is unknown, but heredity and lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to be among the causes.

How is it treated?

There is no cure for diabetes and treatment involves lowering blood glucose and other known risk factors that damage blood vessels.

Insulin, first isolated by Frederic Banting and Charles Best in 1921 in Canada, transformed diabetes from a fatal disease to one in which long-term survival became possible.

People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections to stay alive while type 2 people need it as and when their glucose levels go up.

What are the warning signs of diabetes?

For type 1, warning signs include excessive thirst; constant hunger; excessive urination; weight loss for no reason; rapid, hard breathing; vision changes; drowsiness or exhaustion. These symptoms may occur suddenly.

People with type 2 diabetes may have similar, but less obvious, symptoms. Many have no symptoms and are only diagnosed many years after onset. Almost half of all people with type 2 diabetes are not aware they have this life-threatening condition.

Risk factors

Type 2 diabetes is associated with age, overweight, hypertension, abnormal cholesterol levels, an inactive lifestyle, stroke and genetic factors. Its risk is greater in Hispanics, blacks, Native Americans and Asians. Getting diabetes during pregnancy or delivering a baby over nine pounds (4.1 kg) can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes

What complications can it cause?

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and of new cases of blindness in people. Aside from accidents, diabetes is the most frequent cause of lower limb amputations. Diabetics face a much higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

How many people have diabetes?

At least 194 million people worldwide have diabetes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects the number to rise to over 300 million by 2025. The majority will live in the developing world.

Who is mostly affected?

People in low- and middle-income countries, who are middle-aged (45-64) and not elderly (65+). This means they are robbed of a quality life while they are still in their prime, a time when they are raising and providing for children.

Mortality

Diabetes was responsible for 3.8 million deaths worldwide in 2007. Many diabetics die directly of heart disease or kidney failure.

Morbidity and complications

Diabetes is linked to heart disease and strokes, high blood pressure, blindness, and damage to the kidneys, blood vessels and nerves. It also causes infections and gum disease. The overall risk of dying among people with diabetes is at least double that for non-sufferers.