International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is raising awareness on the impact that diabetes has on the family and support network of those affected, and promoting the role of the family in the management, care, prevention, and education of diabetes.
Families are urged to learn more about the warning signs of diabetes and find out their risk of type 2 diabetes.
A study conducted by IDF in 2018 discovered that parents would struggle to spot this serious life-long condition in their own children. Despite the majority of people surveyed having a family member with diabetes, alarming four-in-five parents would have trouble recognizing the warning signs. One-in-three would not spot them at all.
The findings underline the need for education and awareness to help people spot diabetes symptoms early.
A lack of knowledge about diabetes means that spotting the symptoms is not just a problem for parents, but is an issue impacting a cross-section of society. This is a major concern, due to the signs being milder in type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form of the condition, responsible for around 90% of all diabetes.
One in two people currently living with diabetes are undiagnosed. The vast majority of these have type 2 diabetes.
Left untreated or unmanaged, diabetes can lead to life-changing complications. These include blindness, amputation, kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.
Diabetes was responsible for four million deaths in 2017.
