Research shows that moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms, an indication of a potential anxiety disorder, affect one in five people with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes and one in six with type 1 diabetes or non-insulin treated type 2 diabetes.

Dr Adriana Ventura, Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD) and registered psychologist, who conducted the study, says the prevalence of elevated anxiety symptoms and disorders in people with diabetes is within the range of general population estimates. However, having anxiety and diabetes poses additional challenges.

“Living with diabetes can be difficult enough, managing healthy living, medications and monitoring, and fitting these into daily life. Experiencing anxiety as well adds to the burden, and can impact on both their medical outcomes and quality of life,” said Dr Ventura.

While we still don’t know what directly causes type 2 diabetes, a new study could reveal how obesity and high levels of a fat-derived hormone called leptin can increase a person's risk of developing insulin resistance.

This is one of the reasons behind the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes as obesity changes the brain’s response to insulin.

Researchers from Monash University plan to block leptin action in the brains of obese mice with the hope of dramatically lowering glucose production by the liver.

A new study is underway to explore a link between cardiomyopathy and Alzheimer’s disease.

Cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart is not able to pump enough blood around the body, which can cause symptoms such as breathlessness, tiredness and swelling in the legs and abdomen.

People with type 2 diabetes are predisposed to developing cardiomyopathy, known as diabetic cardiomyopathy, which means the heart’s ability to relax and refill with blood becomes impaired.

Heart disease is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetes. It refers to a number of heart-related conditions including cardiomyopathy.

This week for Cardiomyopathy Week we are highlighting some of the research Diabetes Australia is funding in this important area.

Diabetes Australia today launched a new position statement Glucose self-monitoring in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes to help make it easier for Australians living with diabetes to self-monitor their glucose levels and better self-manage their condition.

Glucose self-monitoring is one of the most important parts of diabetes management. It is also an area that is rapidly changing and can be confusing for people with diabetes. The position statement is designed to give people the information they need to decide the type of glucose monitoring that is right for them. It explains the technologies available, the pros and cons and the evidence for each.

Diabetes Australia CEO, Professor Greg Johnson yesterday attended a Roundtable meeting with the Minister for Heath, Hon Greg Hunt, in Melbourne coordinated by the Consumers Health Forum to press for greater Government focus on the value of consumer-centred primary care, prevention and research.

Professor Johnson spoke about prevention at the Roundtable stressing the need for stronger leadership and action from many sectors to prevent the development of chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, many cancers, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, dementia and mental health issues.