Types of Diabetes There
are 3 main types of diabetes: Type
1 Type 2 Gestational
diabetes Type
1 Diabetes (Insulin
dependent) develops when the cells, which produce insulin in the pancreas, have
been destroyed. The exact reason why these cells are destroyed is not known. As
a result the body is unable to produce any insulin. This
type of diabetes usually begins in young adults and children but can occur at
any age. Type
2 Diabetes Most
people with diabetes will have Type 2. In Type 2 diabetes the pancreas still makes
insulin but either does not produce enough insulin for the body's needs, or the
insulin it produces cannot be properly used (called insulin resistance). Type
2 diabetes was previously known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
or maturity onset diabetes as it usually appears in middle aged or elderly people
(although it can appear at any age). People
who are overweight are much more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes as well as
those that have a family history of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes tends to be more
common in Asian and African-Caribbean communities. Type
2 diabetes is sometimes wrongly described as 'mild diabetes'. There is no such
thing as mild diabetes. All diabetes should be taken seriously and treated properly.
Gestational
Diabetes This
occurs when a woman, who has never had diabetes before, has high blood glucose
levels during pregnancy. The condition develops in 2-5 % of all pregnancies. Treatment
usually involves diet and exercise and may include regular blood glucose testing
and insulin. Summary
table The
table below summarises the main differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Feature
| Type
1 | Type
2 | Age
| Child/young
adult | Middle-age/elderly
| Type
of onset | Rapid
| Gradual
| Build
| Thin
(mostly) | Obese
(mostly) | Weight
loss | Common
| Uncommon
| Family
history | Uncommon
| Common
| Insulin
| Low/absent
| Normal/high
|
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