Summary

• Diabetes mellitus, more commonly known simply as diabetes, refers to a group of diseases that can cause high levels of glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood.
• Diabetes happens when your pancreas can’t produce enough of the hormone insulin or your body becomes resistant to it.
• Symptoms of diabetes are feeling tired, hungry or excessively thirsty, and passing more urine (wee) than usual.
• Common diabetic conditions are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and pre-diabetes.
• You can manage diabetes by taking medicines to manage your blood glucose levels, adopting a healthy diet and being physically active.

These key facts are from healthdirect.gov.au (accessed 27 Jan 2025). Visit the healthdirect website for more information about diabetes.

Relevant Tests

If your doctor suspects you have diabetes, they may request one or more tests.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, some of these tests will be used to monitor and manage your condition.

Find information about specific tests:

• Glucose
• Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
• Creatinine
• eGFR
• Creatinine clearance
• UACR (urine albumin creatinine ratio)
• Cystatin C
• Urea
• Lipid profile
• Triglycerides
• Cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol
• LDL cholesterol
• Fructosamine
• Diabetes-related autoantibodies