more than 3 million canadians have diabetes, and cases are growing at alarming rates. do you know the warning signs?

promising research shows that type 2 diabetes can be reversed with lifestyle changes, and in mice, the injection of new dna molecules can potentially reverse new-onset type 1 diabetes .

but here’s the thing: the incidence of this disease is growing at alarming rates with kids under five the fastest group of newly diagnosed cases , and fewer than 50 per cent of canadians are even aware of its often dire warning signs.

one in three may have diabetes
about 3.7 million canadians have been diagnosed with the condition, a number that’s expected to rise to 4.8 million in the next decade. many more may be unknowingly living with diabetes, and could go undiagnosed for years. in fact, diabetes canada estimates that one in three canadians are unaware that they’re living with diabetes or are pre-diabetic .

distressing too, is the reported cost to the canadian healthcare system . for 2021, the direct cost of diabetes and its associated health issues is estimated at $3.9 billion, and this is expected to be nearly $5 billion in the next decade.

the most common risk factors for diabetes ? being over the age of 45, being overweight or obese, living a sedentary lifestyle, a history of diabetes in the family, gestational diabetes which develops during pregnancy, high blood pressure, and heart disease or stroke.

type 1 and type 2 diabetes
in simple terms, diabetes happens when your pancreas doesn’t produce insulin or your body is resistant to insulin and can’t use it properly. that’s a challenge because insulin is an essential hormone that controls the amount of glucose or blood sugar in your bloodstream, sending it to cells for energy.

as diabetes canada explains , type 1 is an autoimmune disease caused when your body’s immune system destroys its own insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. this leaves you reliant on external sources of insulin. type 1 typically develops in children and youth — which is why it was once known as juvenile diabetes — but it can also occur with adults.

a cascade of symptoms
get to know the signs: increased thirst and frequent or urgent urination are typical flags, because high blood sugar causes your kidneys to work overtime to rid your body of excess blood sugar. fluids are pulled from other tissues which causes thirst.

insulin converts glucose into energy
when your metabolism is functioning properly, insulin balances blood glucose levels and when glucose levels get too, high excess glucose is stored in the liver until levels decrease. typically, glucose levels decrease between meals, or when your body is stressed through physical demands like exercise and an extra boost of energy is required.

type 1 diabetes can be managed by taking synthetic insulin through injections or a more advanced insulin injection pump. type 2 is typically treated by insulin tablets or injections, or non-insulin medications like metformin .

disease management is critical
many canadians live long and healthy lives with diabetes, but management, 2022年世界杯名单猜测 and monitoring are essential.