Diabetes is a result of the body’s inability to properly metabolize sugar. Type 1 diabetes relates to insufficient or no insulin production, while type 2 diabetes relates to the body’s inability to respond to insulin and its reduced ability to produce it. There is no cure for diabetes, and if not well-managed, it can have serious short-and long-term health implications. This paper describes diabetes, summarizes the history of insulin’s discovery, explores the impact of the disease in Canada, examines some of the risk factors for developing diabetes and discusses parliamentary and federal government activities with respect to diabetes.
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