Diabetes is characterised by high blood sugar. This is because your body is unable to use the sugar you consume. The pancreas creating no or little insulin, which normally helps sugar to move into your cells, causes type 1 diabetes. The body becoming resistant to the insulin your pancreas makes, or it not producing enough causes type 2 diabetes.
Why do people get diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is becoming much more common and your risk increases if you are overweight, have cardiovascular disease, or have a family history of diabetes. However, simple lifestyle modifications can prevent the development of diabetes, such as doing regular exercise, eating healthy meals and quitting smoking.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of diabetes may include: