It’s known as one of the fastest growing chronic diseases in Australia. As a result, diabetes is regarded as being at national epidemic proportions.

 

Diabetes Australia holds National Diabetes Awareness Week each year to raise awareness about the condition. Charles Sturt University (CSU) has a number of academics available to comment during National Diabetes Week from Sunday 11 July to 17 July.

 National Diabetes Week will highlight the relationship between diabetes and kidney disease. “According to Kidney Health Australia, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 35 per cent of new dialysis patients,” Associate Professor Bonner said. “Twenty years ago Type 2 diabetes accounted for only two per cent of new dialysis patients. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke but also for developing blindness and kidney failure. This is because diabetes, whether it is Type 1 or Type 2, causes damage to all blood vessels in the body.”

 

Associate Professor Bonner has over 20 years experience as a renal nurse with much of that time working in the kidney and pancreas transplant unit at Westmead Hospital in Sydney.   

“One of the major health issues facing Australia is Type 2 diabetes or non-insulin dependant diabetes,” Professor Ball said. “It used to be called 'maturity onset' but we now have children with the condition. The important thing to note about Type 2 diabetes is that it is usually but not exclusively a lifestyle-related condition. It is of great concern that the incidence of Type 2 diabetes is still increasing rapidly in Australia. The condition dramatically increases your risk of heart disease and premature death. Making change is difficult for everyone, but even more difficult if the rest of the household will not change. Medication can help control and slow down the progress of Type 2 diabetes but lifestyle change is required to stop or reverse it. Achieving and maintaining lifestyle change requires a household, family and community effort.” Read more about Professor Ball and diabetes here.