woa project awsome canada on diabetes
www.diabetes.ca There are three main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. Approximately 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. The remaining 90 per cent have type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in high-risk populations are being diagnosed. A third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It affects approximately 2 to 4 per cent of all pregnancies (in the non-Aboriginal population) and involves an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child. Prediabetes refers to a condition where a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Is diabetes serious? If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including: ■Heart disease ■Kidney disease ■Eye disease ■Problems with erection (impotence) ■Nerve damage The first step in preventing or delaying the onset of these complications is recognizing the risk factors, as well as signs and symptoms of diabetes. What are the risk factors for diabetes? If you are ...