Diabetes is increasing in young people at an alarming rate, according to a new report released today by Diabetes Australia, with experts saying this underscores a crisis point across the nation.
In the last decade, Australia has seen a 44 per cent increase in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes between the ages of 21 and 39, and a 17 per cent increase in diagnosis before the age of 20. Meanwhile, the number of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes has more than doubled over the past decade.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are experiencing the world’s highest rates of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, according to the data, with the prevalence in 15-24 year olds doubling over the past five years.
Detailed in the 2024 State of the Nation report, these findings of the ongoing diabetes epidemic were launched at an event at New South Wales Parliament.
Australia doesn’t currently have any national type 2 diabetes prevention plan in place, and Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said this was deeply concerning.
“The current state of play is failing our young people,” Cain said.
“We need urgent action to prioritise diabetes prevention, and the prevention of diabetes complications.”
“This is about the health of our nation, and the health of future generations of Australians.”
“The diabetes epidemic is growing at an alarming rate– more than 300 people are being diagnosed every day.”
What’s the impact of diabetes?
Diabetes Mellitus (often just called diabetes) is a metabolic condition characterised by high blood glucose levels which may arise from either the body’s inability to produce insulin or its inability to respond to insulin– a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, autoimmune condition that can develop very quickly, and if not diagnosed in time, can be fatal. It currently cannot be prevented, and it is not linked to modifiable lifestyle factors.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn’t effectively use the insulin that it produces, often resulting in high blood glucose levels. Evidence shows that around half of all people with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes can achieve remission through intensive dietary changes and weight loss.
Diabetes Australia estimates there are 2 million people now living with diabetes in the country.
Gestational diabetes
For women, diabetes during pregnancy can pose unique risks for themselves and the child. Termed ‘gestational diabetes’ (GDM), the condition typically develops during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. GDM and pre-existing diabetes can cause pregnancy complications, and women with a history of these diagnoses have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life as well as cardiovascular disease.
GDM is the fastest growing type of diabetes in Australia, with the number of women diagnosed annually more than doubling over the past decade.
Aboriginal women are especially impacted, with one study finding that 8.4 per cent of pregnant Aboriginal women in central Australia had pre-existing diabetes.
Furthermore, diabetes has emerged as the leading cause of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women nationally and across the entire Aboriginal demographic in the Northern Territory.
National diabetes prevention plan
Cain said that despite calls for a national diabetes prevention plan happening for decades, Australia still doesn’t have one.
“Prevention is the only thing that will protect future generations of Australians from the costly impact of living with type 2 diabetes.”
And with a Federal parliamentary inquiry expected to hand down its findings soon, Cain said “bold recommendations” are needed from the Parliamentary Committee to “stem the tide of the diabetes epidemic”.
“Greater investment in initiatives to prevent type 2 diabetes and to prevent the devastating complications of all types of diabetes is the key.”
The State of the Nation report includes 25 recommendations covering prevention, treatment, more support for vulnerable communities and greater investment in research.
Among them are recommendations regarding the introduction of a 20 per cent health levy on sugar-sweetened beverages as a population-wide diabetes prevention measure; the promotion of type 2 diabetes remission; the introduction of a national diabetes kidney screening program; and an urgent increase in funding for diabetes research.
The report also recommends the introduction of a new training program for aged care staff supporting residents living with diabetes; the development of a strategic plan to grow the diabetes health workforce; and MBS rebates for general practice visits that are focused on diabetes prevention and screening.