Diabetes is a condition which causes high levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels aiming to stabilise glucose levels by removing it from the bloodstream and into muscle cells to be used as energy. If your body is not producing enough insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream and isn’t moved into the muscle cells for energy. High levels of glucose in the bloodstream damages the walls of your arteries and increases the likelihood of developing fatty deposits which leads to coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
There are two types of diabetes:
Type 1 – Occurs when your body cannot make insulin as a result of the body’s immune system attacking cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. Most common in children and young adults. 10% of people with diabetes are Type 1.
Type 2 – Occurs when the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or your body can no longer use the insulin it produces. There is a strong association between type 2 diabetes and hypertension, obesity and a reduction in HDL (hero cholesterol). This type of diabetes is far more common than Type 1 and develops as we age, typically after 40.
