FED: Third of all type 1 diabetes cases misdiagnosed: study

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2009
FED: Third of all type 1 diabetes cases misdiagnosed: study

A study shows a third of all Australians with type 1 diabetes were initially misdiagnosed
as having the more common type 2 or some other illness .. and its a mistake that can be
deadly.

People with the rarer form of diabetes produce no insulin at all .. meaning they need
daily injections and not the less intensive treatments for those with diabetes type 2.

KATE GILBERT .. president of The Type 1 Diabetes Network .. says it's a 24 to 48 hour
process where the body can operate with no insulin before you go into a coma and die.

The support group conducted a poll of more than 850 Australians with type 1 diabetes
.. and found a third were misdiagnosed.

One in ten reported having a blackout before they were correctly diagnosed .. while
five per cent fell into a diabetic coma.

Of those who were misdiagnosed .. 65 per cent had to go back to their healthcare professional
three or more times before this was corrected.

AAP RTV dr/af/fdf

KEYWORD: DIABETES (SYDNEY)

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