November marks National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM), an important time of year for Canadians living with diabetes and their loved ones.
Additionally, Nov. 14 marked World Diabetes Day - the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, one of the founding fathers of insulin.
The invisible condition affects the body鈥檚 ability to regulate blood glucose levels. Diabetes affects around 31 per cent of the population in British Columbia and is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting people living in Canada and continues to be on the rise.
According to the Province of B.C., there are 542,000 people in B.C. either diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Every year, approximately 42,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes in the province
鈥淭he direct cost of diabetes in British Columbia is $583 million, which is anticipated to rise to $747 million by 2033," said Adrian Dix, who was the minister of health for the province at the time and lives with the condition. "Much of this cost is the result of treating the grave complications caused by diabetes, including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation."
He added he encourages people in B.C. to take time to learn about the warning signs of diabetes, such as extreme thirst, fatigue, hunger and unexplained wight loss, as well as preventative measures.
According to Diabetes Canada, the complexity, effort and time required to self-manage diabetes is significant, involving as many as 600 steps every day, with the insulin injection process alone involving 40 steps.
According to research conducted at Stanford University, people with diabetes (particularly those using insulin to manage their condition) make 180 more decisions each day about their health than those without diabetes. Between testing blood sugar daily, calculating doses of insulin, filling syringes, priming their insulin pump, or a caregiver waking up every hour throughout the night to ensure their child is safe, managing diabetes can be a part-time job for many.
One in two young adults is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in their remaining lifetime. Every three minutes, a Canadian is diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. The number of cases of diagnosed diabetes is predicted to increase 26 per cent within the next decade.
