Health Matters
by Dr. Roland Chiasson, VAC National Medical Officer

Diabetes is a disease that affects many veterans or members of their families. This is a serious condition that occurs when your body can't use, or does not produce enough, insulin. Insulin is a substance your body needs to change sugar from food into energy that can be stored in your body.

There is no cure for diabetes but in most cases it can be treated very effectively with proper medical care. In fact, the most common type of diabetes, called Type 2, often can be controlled, even prevented, if you exercise regularly, eat sensibly and maintain a healthy body weight.

Many people who have diabetes don't even know it, so if you are over the age of 35, you should be screened for diabetes at your regular health check up. You should also consider seeing your family doctor as soon as possible if you:

• experience the need to urinate often;
• are excessively thirsty;
• feel very tired all the time for no apparent reason;
• have frequent changes of vision, such as blurring; or
• lose weight for no obvious reason.

You can learn more about diabetes by visiting Health Canada's Web site. Go to www.hc-sc.gc.ca and click on Diseases & Conditions, then Diabetes.