A new study on diabetes in the aboriginal community finds first nations people develop the disease on average 15 years earlier, and as a result are twice as lucky to suffer from end stage kidney failure.
The senior author of the study, Dr. Roland Dyck, a university of Saskatchewan researcher, says a number of factors contribute to the early onset of the disease, including poverty.
Dr Dyck says early diagnosis and treatment is seen as critical to lowering the numbers.
Lifestyle and diet changes can delay the onset of the disease.
Amoung first nations children, the prevalence of diabetes tripled between 1980 and 2005.
Researchers examined 90,000 adult diabetes Cases in Saskatchewan spanning 25 years to come up with the findings in this latest study.