WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIABETES?

 Type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile diabetes) results when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. People with type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes – increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue – usually develop over a short period of time. If type 1 diabetes is not diagnosed and treated, a person can lapse into a life-threatening coma.
 Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

 Type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult-onset diabetes) occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes effectively. This form of diabetes usually develops in adults over the age of 40 but is becoming more prevalent in younger age groups – including children and adolescents. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes – feeling tired or ill, unusual thirst, frequent urination (especially at night), weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow-healing wounds – may develop gradually and may not be as noticeable as in type 1 diabetes. Some people have no symptoms.
 Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
 A person is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they:

• have a family history of diabetes
• are a member of an ethnic group like African Americans
• are overweight or obese
• are 45 year old or older
• had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes)
• have high blood pressure
• have abnormal cholesterol (lipid) levels
• are not getting enough physical activity
• have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• have blood vessel problems affecting the heart, brain or legs
• have dark, thick and velvety patches of skin around the neck and armpits (This is called acanthosis nigricans, A-can-THO-sis NI-gri-cans.)

 Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing diabetes, mostly type 2, in the next five to 10 years.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease.

In order to determine whether or not a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends the FPG because it is easier, faster, and less expensive to perform.

With the FPG test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes.

In the OGTT test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes.