National Diabetes Awareness Week 8-14 July

July 7, 2018

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and makes up about 90% of all cases of diabetes. Up to 500,000 Australians may have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

This National Diabetes Week we want to help raise awareness and encourage people who might be at risk, to get checked. Type 2 diabetes is a serious, progressive and complex condition with serious complications including vision loss, kidney damage, heart attacks, stroke and limb amputation.

Many people with type 2 diabetes live with the condition for up to 7 years before it is diagnosed. By the time they are diagnosed, half of all people will have already developed at least one serious diabetes-related complication. Much of this damage is preventable if type 2 diabetes is diagnosed earlier.

Diabetes Australia is encouraging all Australians to assess their type 2 diabetes risk by taking a quick online risk assessment. You can assess your risk here.

You can also ask your GP and find out about taking a diabetes blood test.