Three-quarters of Australians underestimate the prevalence of diabetes while more than 50 per cent do not associate it with heart attacks or strokes, according to a new Diabetes Australia report.
The report, published on Monday, comes at the beginning of national diabetes week and as an ACT company launches an in-home blood test service with results available online.
The study found only 40 per cent of Australians were aware heart disease was a possible complication of diabetes while only 34 per cent associated the disease with strokes.
Diabetes Australia chief executive Greg Johnson said the report proved Australians had a limited understanding of the disease and more needed to be done.
"This study of over 1000 Australians highlights most people still underestimate the vast number of people developing diabetes and the serious health complications of diabetes if it's not diagnosed and managed,"
"People also tend to underestimate their personal risk. Two out of three people older than 55 years or younger than 24 years stated that they are not at risk."
According to the report, only a quarter of Australians realise anxiety is associated with diabetes while only seven per cent are aware it can lead to dementia.
Mr Johnson said his organisation would launch an awareness campaign on television to draw attention to the 280 Australians who develop diabetes each day.
"Everyone needs to know more about diabetes," he said. "Most Australians are at risk and you don't have to be old, you don't have to be overweight to develop diabetes," he said.
"All types of diabetes are serious and complex and can increase a person's risk of developing life-threatening complications, yet the general public do not see the whole picture."
Diabetes is the fastest-growing chronic disease in Australia with close to 1.7 million Australians living with a diagnosis.
More than 100,000 Australians have developed diabetes in the past year with most required to monitor their condition every day.
Bill Mobbs, the founder of ACT pathology company MyHealthTest, said technology could play a key role in managing diabetes more easily in coming years.
"Blood testing from home will more easily fit into people's daily routine, making it easier to comply with regular testing and empowering them with a better understanding of their health," he said.
Mr Mobbs will launch his new in-home services this week with Diabetes ACT chief executive Gil Cremer and Rod Kafer, a former ACT Brumbies and Wallabies rugby player who has lived with type one diabetes since aged 15.
"Over time it's been amazing seeing how technology developments have helped people to manage diabetes more effectively," Ms Cremer said.
"We may not have found a cure yet but technology has made the daily tasks needed to manage less time consuming."
The report found the impact of diabetes was greater than the number of diagnosed Australians with many family members and friends exposed to the disease.
"Almost 60 per cent of respondents indicated they have had personal experience with diabetes, either having the condition themselves or through having a friend or family member with the condition," said Diabetes Australia's Victorian chief executive Craig Bennett.
"Despite this personal experience, these findings show a concerning lack of awareness."
