Diabetes in Canada: An interactive report on key statistics: Diabetes management
Interactive data visualization of factors related to diabetes management.
- Last updated: 2025-11-20
On this page
Key highlights
Between 2007 and 2019:
- among adults aged 18 to 79 years living with diabetesfootnote §footnote *:
- 52.3% met the glycemic target for A1C
- 65.6% met the blood pressure target
- among adults aged 40 to 79 years living with diabetesfootnote §footnote *, 65.9% took statins to manage their cholesterol
Between 2019 and 2020:
- more than 100,000 people 18 years and older with diabetesfootnote ‡footnote * did not have a regular healthcare providerfootnote ¤
Factors related to diabetes management
Glycemic target
For type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is essential to manage blood glucose (glycemic) levels. For type 2 diabetes, blood glucose may be managed without medication by addressing:
- diet
- exercise
- stress management
As the disease progresses, medication, including insulin, is often part of the management plan.
Glycemic target is the range of blood glucose levels a person with diabetes maintains to reduce the risk of hypo- or hyperglycemia (low or high blood glucose) and to delay or prevent complications. Glycemic targets are often monitored through measured glycated hemoglobin values (HbA1c or A1C) in the blood. Glycemic targets are specific to each individual and will vary. Most people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should aim to have an A1C of 7.0% or lower.
Blood pressure target
Hypertension (high blood pressure) can stress the vascular system when combined with diabetes. This may cause complications related to the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose management reduce the risk of complications. In most people with diabetes, the recommended blood pressure target is less than 130/80 mmHgFootnote 1.
Statins
Statins are medications that lower cholesterol. Statins also help protect cardiovascular health. Coronary artery disease (hardening of the arteries) is the most common heart disease in people with diabetes. It's also known as ischemic heart disease. Clinical guidelines exist for all people with diabetes. They recommend statins for individuals aged 40 years and older to improve cholesterol levelsFootnote 1 and prevent and manage cardiovascular disease.
Access to a regular healthcare provider
Regular contact with a healthcare provider is important to diagnose diabetes. It's also necessary for management, education, and support. Regular follow-ups help prevent and delay complications. Healthcare providers may include:
- family doctors
- nurse practitioners
- certified diabetes educators
- medical specialists
Explore the data on diabetes management
Figure 1: Proportion (%) of adults aged 18 to 79 years living with diabetes,
Data source:
Figure 1: Text description
Figure 1: Notes
Definitions
- Reference *
-
Types of diabetes are combined. Gestational diabetes is excluded from the estimates presented. Undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes estimates are not considered in the calculation of the prevalence of diabetes.
- Reference †
-
Diabetes (diagnosed): Individuals with at least one inpatient hospital separation or at least two physician claims within two years with an ICD-9(-CM) or ICD-10-CA code for diabetes.
- Reference ‡
-
Diabetes (self-reported): Individuals who self-reported being diagnosed with diabetes by a healthcare professional.
- Reference §
-
Diabetes (self-reported, measured, medication use): Individuals who self-reported being diagnosed with diabetes, took blood glucose lowering medications in the past month or had an A1C level greater or equal to 6.5%.
- Reference ¥
-
Diabetes (undiagnosed): Individual who did not self-report being diagnosed with diabetes, did not take blood glucose lowering medications in the past month and had hemoglobin A1C level greater or equal to 6.5%.
- Reference Ф
-
Prediabetes: Individual who did not self-report being diagnosed with diabetes, did not take blood glucose lowering medications and had hemoglobin A1C level of ≤ 6.0% and < 6.5%.
- Reference ¤
-
Self-reported measures.
References
- Reference 1
-
Diabetes Canada. 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada. Can J Diabetes. 2018; 42(Suppl 1):S1-S325. Available from: http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/cpg
You might also be interested in
Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS)
Estimates and trends over time for over 20 chronic diseases and conditions in Canada.
Health Inequalities Data Tool
Data on indicators of health status and health determinants, stratified by a range of social and economic characteristics meaningful to health equity.
- Date modified: