World Diabetes Day

November 14th is World Diabetes Day, and coincides with the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin in 1922.

What is Diabetes?

People with diabetes can't produce insulin or their body can't properly use the insulin their body does produce.

Type 1 diabetes is usually the result of an auto-immune reaction where the immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin. Onset is usually during childhood, but for some patients it can develop during adulthood. Patients with type 1 diabetes produce little or no insulin and, if they don’t have access to insulin, they will die.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 90% of all diabetes cases and is characterised by insulin resistance and a relative insulin deficiency. Risk factors include: age >45 years, obesity, family history of diabetes and an inactive lifestyle. Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can occur at any age, however, for many patients it can remain undetected for several years. In fact, type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed secondary to some other health complication, or through routine blood or urine testing. Type 2 diabetes can often be managed through a combination of weight loss, a well-controlled diet, or regular physical activity. For patients where lifestyle management is not enough, several treatment options are available.

To help raise awareness, and to celebrate World Diabetes Day, healthy snacks and some important facts about diabetes were provided to the MEDUCOM team.

For more information about diabetes, visit https://worlddiabetesday.org