Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition that occurs as a result of problems with the
production and/or action of insulin in the body.
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps ‘sugar’ (glucose) to leave the
blood and enter the cells of the body to be used as ‘fuel’. When a person has diabetes,
either their pancreas does not produce the insulin they need (type 1 diabetes) or their
body does not make enough or cannot make effective use of the insulin they produce
(type 2 diabetes)