Diabetes has been described as the most important public health problem facing developed countries, with numbers of affected people likely to double in the next twenty years. Most of the increase is in older people and is related to obesity, lack of exercise and high calorie foods. Half of people with diabetes do not realise they have the condition until months or years later, and by that time irreversible damage to the eyes and kidneys has often already occurred. This book clearly explains what diabetes is, and how to spot the symptoms Diabetic treatment can seem complex even to health professionals, often because too much unnecessary detail gets in the way. Here the essentials are presented in simple steps that make the disease more approachable. The various drug treatments, including those only recently released, are explained The book has been co-edited by one of the UK's top diabetic specialists (Professor Ian Campbell, Kirkcaldy, Fife)