Diabetes Type 2: Health Impact and Costs

Abnormal Blood Glucose: Diabetes Type 2

• Diabetes is a significant health concern in Canada, with 7.3% of Canadians aged 12 or older diagnosed.
• Elevated blood glucose damages blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Long-term complications include damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, and nervous system. Infections are more common in people with diabetes, and amputations may be necessary.
• Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in adults, as well as renal failure and nontraumatic lower limb amputations.

Type 2 Diabetes: Global Epidemic

• Type 2 diabetes is a costly global health problem.
• The estimated increase for people living with type 2 diabetes is projected to be 205 million by 2035, with 46.3% of cases undiagnosed.
• Worldwide, there are 387 million people living with diabetes.

Cost of Diabetes in Canada

• In 2014, the cost of diabetes care in Canada was US$612 billion.
• The cost of diabetes in Canada (2005 dollars) is increasing. Costs were projected to be around 10-15 Billion dollars in 2010, and were over 15 Billion by 2020.

Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence in Canada

• Prevalence of type 2 diabetes varies across Canadian provinces and territories, with some provinces having higher percentages of the population affected. (e.g. provinces with a percentage between 5.0% and 5.5%) and other provinces having percentages greater than 6%

Complications of Diabetes

• Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of adult blindness.
• Diabetic nephropathy causes end-stage renal disease.
• Diabetic neuropathy is a leading cause of (non-traumatic) lower extremity amputations.

Three Main Types of Diabetes

• Gestational diabetes: occurs in some women during pregnancy due to difficulty in controlling blood sugar. Women with gestational diabetes have an increased likelihood of developing diabetes later in life.
• Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent): an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
• Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent): Characterized by cells having decreased responsiveness to insulin, or decreased insulin production.

Type 2 Diabetes: Key Characteristics

• Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, comprising 90% of cases.
• Typically diagnosed in adults, but rates are increasing in younger individuals.

Basic Physiology of Blood Glucose Regulation

• Blood glucose rises after meals, triggering the release of insulin from the pancreas.
• Insulin promotes glucose uptake by tissues such as muscles and fat.

Type 2 Diabetes Physiology (Insulin Resistance)

• In Type 2 diabetes, the body's tissues do not respond effectively to insulin.
• Insulin production may be normal or even high, but the tissues are resistant to its effects leading to persistently elevated blood glucose.
• Exercise can bypass insulin resistance as it causes muscles to take up glucose.

Glucose Levels in Diabetes

• Blood glucose levels are important indicators of diabetes status, with different ranges for normal, prediabetic, and diabetic situations.