Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of glucose in the blood, caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin or not being able to use the insulin effectively, or both [44997].

There are several types of diabetes. The most frequently occurring are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) [45520]. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in people aged under 30 years but can develop at any age. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form and is largely preventable by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. GDM is a form of diabetes that can occur in pregnancy [29667]. Diabetes can cause life-threatening complications [44997], which can occur within months of diagnosis, or may develop over several years [28843].

Type 2 diabetes occurs at earlier ages for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people [44997] and is often undetected and untreated [30593]. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes tend to have higher levels of risk factors such as smoking [44997][31982][45876] and may show signs of other chronic conditions, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), liver disease and anaemia [28856]. As such, reducing its impact among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is one of the key goals of the Australian national diabetes strategy 2021-2030 [44185].