WORDS
NATASHA SHAW
W
ith rates of diabetes
on the rise, chemical
pathologist Professor
Graham Jones believes a simple
test could make the difference.
Like Prof. Jones, here at
Diabetic Living we’re concerned
about the rising tide of type 2,
and our Change4Life campaign
acknowledges those who are
dedicated to increasing public
awareness about diabetes.
Diabetes affects about 1.
million Australians, and hundreds
of thousands of others are either
undiagnosed or at risk. These
alarming figures are prompting
health professionals, including
Prof. Jones, to make a plea for
the early detection and ongoing
monitoring of diabetes. The hope
is to reduce health complications
associated with the disease and
relieve the pressure currently on
our country’s health system.Testing politicians
Recently, Pathology Awareness
Australia and Diabetes Australia
invited politicians at Parliament
House to be checked for diabetes,
and 87 took up the offer of taking
a Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
test, which looks at average
blood glucose levels (BGLs).Of those tested, two were
found to have pre-diabetes
and one was diagnosed with
type 2. “This result is not
surprising,” says Prof. Jones.
“An exact prediction is not
possible without knowing the
ages and risk factors, but we
estimate around 500,
Australians have diabetes
and do not know it, and many
more have pre-diabetes, so the
result is not unexpected.”Pollies work in a high-pressure
environment, which makes you
wonder if this contributed. “As
lifestyle factors, particularly diet
and exercise, are predisposing
factors to type 2, people in
high-pressure environments can
certainly be at increased risk,”
says Prof. Jones. But this does
not mean people without ‘high
pressure’ are not at risk.
Whatever your environment,
all health experts agree early
detection is important. A
2016 Centre for International
Economics (CIE) report found
the cost of diabetes is $4-6 billion
each year in Australia, but this
could be halved. “The longer
you’re exposed to high BGLs, the
more damage,” explains Prof.
Jones. “So the best approach is
prevention, followed by early
detection and management.” Q4
Change
LIFE
Professor Graham Jones
is urging people at risk to be
tested for type 2 diabetes
the test
Put to
Encourage testing
If you have type 2 diabetes, the risk of your family members
should also be assessed, taking their lifestyles into account,
advises Prof. Jones. “There is a simple screening questionnaire for
assessing diabetes risk, known as AUSDRISK (diabetesaustralia.
com.au/risk-calculator). This can be used by people of any age
who may be at risk to consider the need for HbA1c blood tests.”A pollie’s
HbA1c is
tested.diabetic living JULY/AUGUST 2017 17DIABETES awareness