What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that allows glucose from food to enter the body’s cells where it is converted into energy needed by muscles and tissues to function. A person with diabetes does not absorb glucose properly, and glucose remains circulating in the blood damaging body tissues over time. This damage can lead to disabling and life-threatening complications.

Source: IDF Diabetes Atlas Sixth Edition, International Diabetes Federation 2013