What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes typically results from the autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, the producers of insulin. As the body’s own insulin production is impaired, treatment with multiple insulin injections or a continuous infusion of insulin through an insulin pump is a necessary daily activity for survival. People who have this type of diabetes often need to conduct around 6 to 8 finger pricks a day to monitor their blood glucose levels. This group accounts for approximately 10% of all people with diabetes in Australia. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, although most cases develop amongst children, teenagers and young adults. There is currently no means of preventing or curing type 1 diabetes. It is one of the most common chronic diseases amongst children and Australia has one of the highest rates of type 1 in the world.

- Source Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2009

Australian Diabetes Map

The Australian Diabetes Map is a reference tool showing the numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes in all parts of Australia, with information on age, gender and diabetes type, reflecting prevalence rates at a national, federal electorate, state electorate, local government and postcode level. - Source NDSS

The Financial costs of Diabetes

The total annual cost for people with type 2 diabetes in Australia is estimated at $6 billion (Colagiuri et al., 2003) and $570 million for people with type 1 diabetes (Colagiuri et al., 2009a). The average annual cost per person increases greatly with the presence of complications, from $4,025 per person with type 2 diabetes without complications and $3,468 per person with type 1 diabetes without complications, to $9,645 per person with type 2 diabetes with micro- and macrovascular complications and $16,698 per person with type 1 diabetes with micro- and macrovascular complications. - Source Diabetes Australia