Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder whereby the pancreas fails to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by over-consumption of sugar, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.

In the early stages, you may be able to reverse or manage type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes by cutting down on sugar and losing weight. In later stages, you may need to control it with medication and insulin. We explain more in our blog about how to reverse pre-diabetes.

The symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, fatigue, unexpected weight loss, and extreme thirst. Some of these symptoms are caused by excess sugar that your body does not use for energy, which is left in your blood and attaches itself to haemoglobin - the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen.

The more glucose there is in your bloodstream, the more glucose builds up in your cells. This sugar binding to molecules is one-way diabetes causes physical damage and health problems. If you're concerned about developing type 2 diabetes, read our blog about how to reduce your risk.

Our most advanced diabetes test measures blood glucose and HbA1c (or glycosylated haemoglobin), a measure of the sugar in your bloodstream over the previous eight weeks.

Unlike a regular blood sugar test, HbA1c is not affected by short-term changes. So, even though you may have had high blood sugar on occasion, an HbA1c result within the normal range can show that your blood sugar levels are under control overall. An elevated result will signify pre-diabetes or even diabetes itself. Measuring blood sugar is part of diagnosing and managing diabetes.

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