UNDERSTANDING DIABETES

Diabetics often neglect their treatment because it is a burden on their everyday lives, new research suggests.

:: Over two million people in the UK have diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.

:: There are up to another 750,000 people with the condition but that don’t know they have it.

:: Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood because the body cannot process it properly.

:: Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods, such as bread, rice and potatoes, sugar and other sweet food, and from the liver, which makes its own glucose.

:: There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2.

:: Type 1 develops when the body is unable to produce any insulin - a hormone produced by the pancreas which helps glucose enter the cells where it is used as fuel. Type 1 is the least common type. It accounts for between 5-15% of all diabetics.

:: Type 2 is the most common and accounts for between 85-95% of people with diabetes. It develops when the body makes some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin produced does not work properly.

:: The signs and symptoms of diabetes include, increased thirst, extreme tiredness, needing the toilet all the time, weight loss and blurred vision.

:: You are more at risk of developing diabetes if a close member of your family has Type 2 diabetes, if you are overweight, you have high blood pressure of have had a heart attack or stroke, if you are a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome and are overweight, or if you have had gestational diabetes, you have severe mental health problems.

:: Diabetes cannot be cured, but can be treated in several ways, including lifestyle changes, insulin injection and diet.