Our Diabetes Information Representatives cannot perform diagnosis or recommend medical treatment. They are able to provide general information about diabetes and its management.
For urgent questions, please do not email us. You should consult your health care practitioner instead.

Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease where the body does not make or does not use insulin properly, resulting in having too much sugar (glucose) in the blood.
People with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced does not work well.
As a result, sugar builds up in the blood.

There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1 (Insulin-Dependant Diabetes), in which the patient has to rely on insulin injections to control their blood sugars.
Type 2 (Non-insulin Dependant Diabetes) where the patient is not dependant on insulin and their condition can be controlled by diet, exercise and medicines.

About 9% of the adult population in Singapore have diabetes. Diabetes can affect people of any age or race. However, 90% of people with diabetes are over 40 years old.

Some causes of Type 2 Diabetes include age, family history, weight, physical activities, diet, overall lifestyle and pregnancy.