Diabetes is the largest single cause of potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPHs) in Queensland, according to the state’s Chief Health Officer’s latest report.

There are now more than 10,000 hospitalisations in a year with a principal diagnosis of diabetes, and more than 200,000 hospitalisations where diabetes is an associated condition.

Approximately 46,000 more PPHs stem from diabetes complications.

“While fewer people are dying from diabetes, more people are living longer with a disability resulting from the complications of diabetes,” Diabetes Queensland CEO Sturt Eastwood said.

“This can have a major impact on their quality of life.”

Mr Eastwood said these statistics provide a valuable insight into the critical need to help people either prevent diabetes or avoid the complications that can arise from the condition.

“There is an urgent need to have people diagnosed earlier so that complications are not the first sign that a person has type 2 diabetes,” Mr Eastwood said.

“We also need to help Queenslanders move away from the behaviours that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.”

Mr Eastwood said the State Government had invested $27 million over the past three years in the ‘My Health for Life’ program.

‘My Health for Life’ is a free lifestyle program open to participants who have been identified as being at high risk of developing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

“It is all about helping people get their health back on track or helping them to age well by maintaining active and healthy lives,” Mr Eastwood said. More than 8,000 Queenslanders have enrolled in the program since it launched in 2017.

In Queensland, there are about 216,000 people currently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and an estimated additional 54,000 people living with the condition who are as yet undiagnosed.

Unfortunately, there are often no symptoms until complications set in.