What is Diabetes?

The main measurement used to tell your doctor whether you have diabetes is the amount of glucose in your blood (“blood sugar level”) when you haven’t eaten for at least 8 hours. Under those circumstances:

• A normal fasting glucose level is less than 6.0 mmol/L.
• A fasting glucose level between 6.1 and 6.9 mmol/L indicates some dysfunction in the way your body uses insulin. This is sometimes called “prediabetes”.
• A fasting glucose level above 7.0 mmol/L indicates diabetes.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes usually affects children (and occurs when there is not enough insulin produced) and requires daily injections of insulin. Type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes usually affects adults later in life and can often be managed with lifestyle changes and pills rather than injections. Here there is enough insulin produced but the body is unable to use it effectively. About 90% of all people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.