According to recent research conducted by the University of Queensland (UQ) School of Population health, the Australian type 2 diabetic population is soaring, with the consequence that health loss caused by the disease will more than double by 2023.
Health loss is a term measured by units called DALYs. DALY stands for ‘disability adjusted life year’ and refers to one year of healthy life lost. The research was published in the January issue of the Medical Journal of Australia .
The research team also examined the health loss caused by other diseases. Some 75 per cent was caused by cancer, injuries, neurological and sense problems, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease. Anxiety and depression were also major factors.
Despite studying all these factors, health loss due to diabetes was forecast to be the most severe climb. Researcher Dr. Theo Vos reportedly commented: “All of the health risks are open to modification through intervention. For example the predicted strong growth in health loss associated with diabetes is notable as it is mostly due to increased body mass. If new approaches to encourage Australians to maintain a healthy body weight could be as successful as the anti-smoking campaigns that have helped reduce cardiovascular disease, we may be able to reduce increasing diabetes rates .”

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