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Around the world, an estimated 422 million people suffer from diabetes – according to figures from 2014 – with that figure thought to be rapidly growing.
In particular, the disease appears to increasingly be affecting poor and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
WHO projects that by 2030, diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death in the world.
Diabetes is a chronic disease where the pancreas does not produce enough of the hormone insulin – or – if it does, the person’s body cannot effectively use it.
If the body cannot access insulin for whichever reason, sugar can build up to harmful levels in the blood, which can lead to hyperglycemia (too much blood sugar) or hypoglycemia (too low sugar in the blood).
Over time this can cause major complications in the body including heart attacks, strokes, nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness, impotence and infections that may lead to amputation. This is particular prevalent in those with high blood sugar levels.
Insulin, produced in the pancreas, is a hormone needed in the body to break down sugar (glucose) carbohydrates in our food and convert it into energy or store for future use.
Insulin also regulates your blood sugar and prevents it from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia).
People with the diabetes either have one of two different types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2 – depending on how much insulin they produce.
Those suffering from type 2 diabetes produce some insulin – but not enough or their bodies are not able to properly use the hormone.
Anyone with type 1 diabetes typically produces no insulin at all, meaning they need to inject themselves on a daily basis to survive.
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