Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterised
by high blood glucose levels resulting from the body not producing
insulin or using it properly. Insulin is a hormone needed for
glucose to enter the cells and be converted to energy.
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs
when the pancreas gland no longer produces the insulin needed.
It is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood and is
one of the most common chronic childhood diseases in developed
nations. The most common form of diabetes is Type 2. In Type
2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin
or the cells ignore the insulin produced. The buildup in glucose
in the blood deprives the cells of energy and over time impacts
eye, kidney, nerve or heart functioning.
Regular treatment usually consists of lifelong insulin injections
every day, regular blood glucose level tests, healthy eating
plans and physical activity.
LCT aims to treat Type 1 diabetes. Healthy islet cells are algae
coated capsules and transplanted into the body to produce insulin
and regulate blood glucose levels. The capsules ensure that the
cells are not recognised as foreign by the patient, so no immunosuppressant
drugs are needed.
- It is estimated that around 194 million people have
diabetes in the adult population in the IDF Regions (an increase
from the 1995 global estimation of 135 million published
in a World Health Organization study in 1998)
- Type 1 diabetes
represents 10 to 15% of all cases
- It is estimated that approximately
4.9 million people (in all age groups) have type 1 diabetes.
The European region has
the highest estimated number of people with type 1 diabetes (1.27
million), followed by the North American Region (1.04
million) and the South East Asian Region (0.91 million).
- Diabetes is Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease
- 520,000 Australians are diagnosed with diabetes. According
to Diabetes Australia, for every one who knows they have
it, another
has it but doesn’t know
- The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimates that 2.5 to 15% of annual health
budgets are spent on diabetes-related
illnesses
- A person with diabetes incurs medical costs that are two
to five times higher than those of a person without diabetes.
This is due to more frequent medical visits, purchase of supplies and
medication, and the higher likelihood of being
admitted
to a hospital.
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