World Diabetes Day is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, a Canadian doctor who co-discovered insulin and its therapeutic potential.

Did you know:

• 463 million adults (1 in 11) were living with diabetes in 2019. The number of people living with diabetes is expected rise to 578 million by 2030.
• 50% of adults with diabetes remain undiagnosed.
• More than 75% of people with diabetes live in low and middle-income countries.
• 1 in 6 live births are affected by diabetes in pregnancy.
• Diabetes caused 4.2 million deaths in 2019.
• Diabetes was responsible for at least $760 billion in health expenditure in 2019 – 10% of the global total spent on healthcare

There are two main types of diabetes: 

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas can’t produce insulin. This happens usually because the body’s immune system destroys the cells that make the insulin 

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease whereby the body attacks the cells of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, stopping them from making insulin. The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Nothing can be done to prevent or cure type 1 diabetes, but there is a lot of research in this field. 

Approximately 10% of the people who have diabetes have type 1. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in younger people, but it can be diagnosed at any age. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often develop quickly. If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin every day to survive. If type 1 diabetes is managed well, you can continue to lead a healthy life.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It affects 90% of all people with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes less responsive to the effects of insulin and cannot make enough insulin to maintain blood glucose levels within the target range. This leads to high blood glucose levels. It develops over many years and is usually diagnosed in adults (but it is becoming more common in children and young adults). You may not notice any symptoms, or they may appear slowly over time.

People who are at risk of type 2 diabetes can delay or prevent developing diabetes by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This includes regular physical activity, making healthy food choices, and being a healthy weight. Recent research has shown that in people with recent onset type 2 diabetes, losing weight and keeping it off can put diabetes into remission.

Check your risk of developing type 2 diabetes here

If you are living with diabetes then make sure you know your health targets by clicking here