In 1921, researchers in Ontario made a breakthrough that marked a turning point in the treatment of diabetes. Their discovery of insulin changed the outlook of the disease from a certain death sentence to a manageable condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the centennial anniversary of this life-saving drug, Canada is seeing rising rates of diabetes. Currently, one in three Canadians has diabetes or prediabetes. The most common form is type 2 diabetes, which at one time was far more prominent in adults but is becoming more common in younger people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to serious complications, including kidney disease, blindness, heart attack, and stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is why it is so important to reach out to your health-care team if you believe that you have any symptoms or risk factors,\u201d said Annie Garon-Mailer, Advanced Practice Nurse at The Ottawa Hospital\u2019s Foustanellas Endocrine and Diabetes Centre<\/a>, the leading referral centre in Eastern Ontario for complex diabetes care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a condition that can be managed, but only if it is properly diagnosed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “It is so rewarding to help patients manage the disease and to see how just a few lifestyle changes can diminish symptoms and improve their quality of life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Being able to recognize common symptoms and risk factors may also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diabetes affects how your body turns food into energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People living with type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin and are insulin dependent, while people with type 2 diabetes cannot effectively use the insulin that their bodies produce. Insulin regulates blood sugar, helping the glucose from food get into the body\u2019s cells to be used for energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Type 1 diabetes often develops during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, though it is increasingly being seen in children. Roughly 90 percent of people living with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following are the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, some people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may not notice any symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having any of the following conditions can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other risk factors include being over the age of 40, having a history of diabetes in your immediate family, and, although the reason is unclear, your ethnic background (being of African, Arab, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous or South Asian descent).<\/p>\n\n\n\nFirst, what is diabetes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What are the common symptoms?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Am I at risk?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n