Diabetes by Numbers...
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. With over 9 million Canadians suffering from some form of diabetes, it is a serious health issue we no longer can ignore. As a starter, lets look at the staggering statistics of diabetes in Canada.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus (MEL-it-us) is the medical name given to disorders of the regulation of blood glucose (also called “blood sugar”) in the body.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune disease that strikes both children and adults at any age. It occurs when the body’s own immune system destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells produce insulin, which is an essential hormone needed by the body to obtain energy from food. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. T1D strikes suddenly, causes lifelong dependence on injected or pumped insulin, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
T1D by Numbers...
- More than 300,000 Canadians live with the daily burden of T1D.
- Canada has the sixth highest incidence rate of T1D in children age 14 years and younger in the world.
About Type 2 Diabetes (T2D)
T2D is a metabolic disease (also called “metabolic disorder”) in which a person’s body still produces insulin but is unable to use it effectively. T2D is usually diagnosed in adulthood, but there is a growing number of cases of T2D in children due to an increase in childhood obesity. T2D can sometimes be treated with diet and lifestyle interventions, as well as oral medications. T2D does not always require injected or pumped insulin. People with T2D are also at risk for devastating complications.
T2D by Numbers...
- There are more than 9 million Canadians living with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
- T2D is the most common form of diabetes
T1D and T2D Together
- T1D and T2D are the leading causes of kidney failure, new cases of blindness, and non-traumatic lower-limb amputations among adults in Canada.
- T1D and T2D are major causes of heart disease and stroke among adults in Canada
For more information, check out some of the latest books on diabetes from the library...
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