What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious illness that occurs as a result of problems with the production and supply of insulin in the body.
Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, a form of sugar. We use glucose as a source of energy for our muscles and other tissues. Our bodies transport glucose in our blood. In order for our muscles and other tissues to absorb glucose from our blood, we need a hormone called insulin. Without insulin, our bodies cannot obtain the necessary energy from our food.
Insulin is produced by a gland called the pancreas. When a person has diabetes, either their pancreas does not produce the insulin they need (Type 1), or their body cannot use its own insulin effectively (Type 2).
As a result, people with diabetes cannot use enough of the glucose in the food they eat. This leads to the amount of glucose in the blood increasing. This high level of glucose or "high blood sugar" is called hyperglycaemia. High levels of glucose in the blood can lead to medical complications including cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage.
At present, there is no cure for diabetes.