Diabetes
Recent releases
Diabetes: Australian facts 2008 (28 March 2008) (media release and publication)
National indicators for monitoring diabetes: report of the Diabetes Indicators Review Subcommittee of the National Diabetes Data Working Group (13 August 2007) (publication)
Comorbidity of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease in Australia (9 August 2007) (media release and publication)
Popular titles
 Australia's health 2008 |
 Australia's welfare 2007 |
Link to the World Diabetes Day, 14 November 2007 fact sheet
Overview
Diabetes mellitus has a substantial impact on the health of Australians. The disease may result in a range of complications responsible for disabilities, reduced quality of life, shortened life expectancy, and pregnancy-related complications for the mother and the foetus or newborn baby. As one of the top 10 causes of death in Australia, diabetes is responsible for an enormous public health and social burden.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) condition in which blood glucose levels become too high because the body produces little or no insulin, or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body to use glucose (a type of sugar) for energy.
There are several types of diabetes, with different causal mechanisms. The three main types are:
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is marked by a total or near-total lack of insulin. It results from the body destroying its own insulin producing cells in the pancreas. People with this form of diabetes require daily insulin therapy to survive. Type 1 accounts for around 10-15% of all people with diabetes. It is one of the most serious and common chronic diseases of childhood, with about half of the people with Type 1 diabetes developing the disease before age 18. Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes.
The most recent national estimates of diabetes prevalence come from the 2004-05 National Health Survey, which collected self-reported information. From this survey it was estimated that 91,900 Australians (0.5% of the population) had Type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is marked by reduced levels of insulin (insulin deficiency) and/or the inability of the body to use insulin properly (insulin resistance). The disease is most common among people aged 40 years and over and accounts for 85-90% of all people with diabetes. Many people with this form of diabetes eventually need insulin therapy to control their blood glucose levels.
According to the 2004-05 National Health Survey, 582,800 people (approximately 3% of the population) reported having Type 2 diabetes. Information from the 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study, the most recent national survey in which blood glucose levels were measured, estimated that more than 850,000 Australians aged 25 years and over (7.2% of that population) had Type 2 diabetes in 1999-2000. Around half of the people in the AusDiab study who tested positive for diabetes were not aware that they had it. Do you know your BGL (blood glucose level)?
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy in about 3-8% of females not previously diagnosed with diabetes. Screening tests for gestational diabetes are usually performed around the 24th-28th week of pregnancy. It is a temporary form of diabetes and usually disappears after the baby is born. However, it is a marker of much greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
How many Australians have diabetes?
In the 2004-05 National Health Survey, 699,600 Australians (3.5% of the population) reported having diabetes. Based on the 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study, around one million Australians are estimated to have diabetes with the number expecting to increase over the coming decade. Rates of Type 2 diabetes in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are among the highest in the world. In some Indigenous communities as many as one third of the population may have diabetes.
The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes increases with age. Nearly 1 in 4 people aged 75 and over have Type 2 diabetes compared to less than 1 in 1,000 people in their 20s. However, rates of diabetes are increasing in all age groups. You can help reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, doing regular exercise, and eating a balanced diet.
For further information see Diabetes, Australian Facts 2008, National Diabetes Register statistical profile 1999-2005 and Australia's Health 2006.