Up to 640 Australians are hospitalised each year in serious life threatening situations before they are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Diabetes Australia warned.

Diabetes Australia is launching a new campaign “It’s About Time” to encourage the community, families, schools and health professionals to recognise the early signs of type 1 diabetes and help avoid many of the hospitalisations.

New research has found that only 5% of Australians aged over 40 have had a type 2 diabetes risk check in the past two years.

Also, more than half of people surveyed were unable name any diabetes related complication despite type 2 diabetes being a leading cause of vision loss, kidney damage, heart attacks, stroke and limb amputation.

In support of National Diabetes Week, Energizer® will once again be donating $1 from each specially marked pack purchased throughout the month of July.

An alliance of Australia’s leading health and community organisations has congratulated NSW Health for announcing it will phase out sugary drinks from all of its facilities in the next six months as part of its Healthy Choices in Health Facilities policy.

CEO of Diabetes Australia, Greg Johnson said it was important for health facilities to lead by example and provide healthier options for patients, staff and visitors.

New research shows that sugary drinks sold in Australia have over 20 per cent more glucose compared to those sold in the United States.

The research from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute compared the sugar content of sugary drinks in Australia, Europe and the U.S. The higher proportion of glucose relate to different sweeteners used in sugary drinks (sugar cane in Australia, corn syrup in the US and sugar beet in Europe).

Dr Renae Kirkham, Senior research officer from Menzies School of Health Research is using a Diabetes Australia Research Program grant, to better understand how diabetes impacts the pregnancies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Dr Kirkham works for the Northern Territory Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership and is involved in evaluating models of care for diabetes in pregnancy across the Northern Territory.