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Diabetes currently affects one in twenty of the world's adult population - in other words, approximately 151 million people around the globe.

Diabetes, the full name for which is diabetes mellitus, is a condition where the amount of glucose in the blood is too high. This is due to insufficient or inefficient insulin, which is the hormone in the pancreas that helps glucose enter the body's cells to be used as fuel. When someone with diabetes eats sweet foods, or starchy foods that produce glucose when digested, the blood sugar levels remain high as the body cannot use that glucose properly.

There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs under the age of 40 and is characterised by the body's inability to produce any insulin at all. Type 1 diabetics normally have to receive regular insulin injections and are encouraged to maintain a healthy diet. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in people over the age of 40 and is where the body still makes some insulin, but it is either not enough, or the insulin does not work properly.

Type 2 diabetes can be associated with being overweight, having a poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle although this is not always the case. This diabetes can usually be effectively managed by adopting a healthier lifestyle, which may include weight loss, a healthy diet and regular exercise. Insulin may still be used in some cases to regulate blood sugar levels.

The primary symptoms of diabetes are ongoing thirst, extreme tiredness, weight loss, the need to pass water all the time especially at night, genital itching and repeated episodes of thrush and blurred vision. If you suspect that you have diabetes, you should contact your GP who can carry out a simple blood test to check the level of glucose in the blood and confirm whether you have this condition.