About 16 per cent of Australians have blood sugar levels that are so high that they are considered to be at pre-diabetes levels. Sure, this these blood sugar levels aren’t high enough that they classify as type 2 diabetes, but the fact that they are at pre-diabetes levels means that the excessive amounts of sugar in the blood can start damaging arteries.

The reason why so many Australians have pre-diabetes levels of blood sugar, according to the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, is that many Australians simply don’t know or misunderstand how to monitor their rising levels of blood sugar. Many Australians have the education and motivation to get regualr checks of breast cancer or tests of cholesterol levels, but unfortunately, most people don’t understand how important it is to montor healthy levels of blood glucose too.

The team at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute recommends that Australians should regularly have blood tests for diabetes, especially for those people with a family history of diabetes. For Australians who are over 40 years old, the Institute also offers a free online tool, called the AusDrisk Test, which calculates your risk of Type 2 diabetes.

While eating sugary foods does contribute to rising levels of blood sugar, the other major factors include sedentary living, obesity and your genes.