Diabetes week: Australians with diabetes (Media Release)

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	MEDIA RELEASE Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
16 July 2014		102/2014

This week is National Diabetes Week (13 - 19 July 2014) with a focus on raising awareness of diabetes and encouraging the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011–13 Australian Health Survey show that:

• One in every twenty Aussie adults has diabetes (5 per cent), the majority of whom have type 2 diabetes.
• Older Australians have the highest rates of diabetes, with almost one in seven Australians aged 65 to 74 years having the condition.
• Most people with diagnosed diabetes take some type of medication, with almost one in four (23 percent) taking daily insulin.
• A further three per cent of Aussies are at high risk of diabetes that is, they have elevated blood glucose levels (from 6.1 mmol/L to less than 7.0 mmol/L).
• It's true that people who are obese have much higher rates of diabetes. In fact, obese Aussies are seven times as likely as those who are of normal weight or underweight to have diabetes.
• Having a family history of diabetes is another big risk factor for developing the condition. Over half of all Australians with diabetes also have a parent or sibling with the disease.
• People with diabetes often have signs of other chronic health conditions as well. Nearly one in four people with diabetes (22 per cent) had albuminuria, an early indicator of kidney disease and around half had lower than normal levels of good cholesterol.
• On a more positive note, over half (56 per cent) of all Australians with diagnosed diabetes are effectively managing their condition (that is they have an HbA1c blood test result of seven per cent or less).