Cardiology and skin cancer services available at Ochre Medical Centre Bruce
Ochre Medical Centre Bruce, on the University of Canberra campus just off Ginninderra Drive, has added cardiology to its...
Have you gained weight recently? Are you drinking more? Exercising less? Are you over 35? A type 2 diabetes test only takes a minute. We recommend talking to your doctor and getting checked.
Here are some more questions with answers to explain what you need to know…
Diabetes is a chronic disease involving elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar) which can lead, over time, to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. It is caused by the body having insufficient insulin, the key hormone that allows your cells to use glucose as energy.
There are two types of diabetes:
In recent years, the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes has risen so dramatically it is now widely regarded as “the epidemic of the 21st century” and one of the major challenges confronting our health system.
Diabetes is a nasty disease requiring the need for constant management and treatment, including regular insulin doses, for survival. It also greatly reduces the life expectancy of people who suffer from it – according to most estimates by an average of around 20 years.
Nearly 2 million Australians have diabetes – over 7% of our total population! That includes 1.3 million known and registered sufferers of Types 1 and 2 Diabetes and an estimated 600,000 people who have undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes. Over 300 Australians develop diabetes every day – one person every five minutes!
The people most at risk of developing diabetes are those who:
To assess your risk of developing diabetes, there are various assessment tools available online including this one from Diabetes Australia, developed by the Baker IDI Heart Diabetes Institute on behalf of the Australian, State and Territory Governments. However, Diabetes Australia and Ochre Health recommend talking to your doctor as the simplest and best way to understand your risk and what to do about it.
Yes, you can definitely avoid developing diabetes! Evidence shows Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented in up to 58% of high risk cases. The keys are early risk identification and changes in diet and lifestyle.
To reduce your risk, Diabetes Australia and Ochre Health recommend:
If you suffer from diabetes, your doctor and healthcare team are the key people to help and support you in managing your disease and any other health conditions.
Your doctor will use an Annual Cycle of Care – a checklist designed to keep track of your management goals and to ultimately reduce your risk of complications. As part of your daily, weekly, monthly and annual diabetes management, your doctor and healthcare team will guide you through a series of regular checks and reviews, including:
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