New study reveals alarming rates of diabetes

A recent study has found that 275 Australians are developing diabetes every day; 100,000 per year. Early death from heart attack or stroke will occur in 70% of these people, and could be prevented.

Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to automatically regulate blood glucose levels, resulting in too much glucose (a form of sugar) in the blood. Diabetes develops when the pancreas (the organ responsible for producing insulin) is unable to make insulin, or the insulin is unable to work effectively.

Diabetes now represents one of the most challenging public health problems of the 21st century. Already diabetes costs the health system $3 billion a year, and 25% of hospital beds are filled by people with diabetes.

The study also found:

• 200,000 Australians are moving from the overweight category into the “obese” range (BMI of 30 and above) each year.
• 270,000 Australians are developing kidney disease. Having diabetes increased the risk of developing a reduction in kidney function 3 fold.
• 400,000 Australians are developing high blood pressure each year. The risk of developing high blood pressure was greater for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes, and for those who were overweight or obese.
• Those with pre-diabetes were 10 – 20 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with normal blood glucose levels.

Of the 75 participants who died during the study and could be shown to have died from strokes or heart attacks, 68% had either diabetes or pre-diabetes 5 years earlier. Jonathan Shaw, deputy director of the IDI, said this suggests doctors could reduce the death toll if they identified people with pre-diabetes and diabetes and treated their risk factors more aggressively.

Remember: If untreated, high blood glucose levels can be life threatening. Although there is no cure for diabetes, the symptoms can be controlled with diet, exercise and medication.

Source: The AusDiab 2005 http://www.diabetes.com.au/pdf/Ausdiab2005ExecSumm.pdf