Diabetes Facts
More than two million Canadians have diabetes.
There are three main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes , usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that ensures body energy needs are met. Approximately 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
The remaining 90 per cent have type 2 diabetes , which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in high-risk populations are being diagnosed.
A third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It affects approximately 3.5 per cent of all pregnancies and involves an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child. 
Is Diabetes Serious?
If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including:
Heart disease - Kidney disease
- Eye disease
- Problems with erection (impotence)
- Nerve damage
The changing face of diabetes in Canada
Based on a U.S. study, a North American child born in 2000 stands a one in three chance of being diagnosed with diabetes in his or her lifetime. In Canada, over two million Canadians have diabetes and that number is expected to reach three million by 2010.
Approximately 10% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically due to a number of factors:
- The population is aging.
- Obesity rates are rising.
- Canadian lifestyles are increasingly sedentary.
- Aboriginal people are three to five times more likely than the general population to develop type 2 diabetes.
- Almost 80% of new Canadians come from populations that are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. These include people of Hispanic, Asian, South Asian or African descent.
The prevalence and costs of diabetes
The financial burden of diabetes and its complications is enormous.
- People with diabetes incur medical costs that are two to three times higher than those without diabetes. A person with diabetes can face direct costs for medication and supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 a year.
- By 2010, it’s estimated that diabetes will cost the Canadian healthcare system $15.6 billion a year and that number will rise to $19.2 billion by 2020.