The Know Your Man Facts campaign on Diabetes + Men’s Health highlights simple actions men can take to understand if they are at risk of developing diabetes, and what they can do to prevent it.

Approximately one million Australian men are living with diabetes, and this is expected to increase significantly in the coming years due to lifestyle factors that are preventable.

Described as the silent pandemic by Diabetes Australia, diabetes is a chronic disorder in which a person has high blood sugar either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond adequately to the insulin that is produced.

Type 1 Diabetes is characterised by the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form and is characterised by a reduced production of insulin and an inability of body tissues to respond fully to insulin.

There is no cure, only management.

Many people do not realise they have Type 2 Diabetes until complications develop which effect the feet, eyes, kidneys, and cardiovascular health.