What is Diabetes? What are the types of Diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose), is too high (hyperglycemia). Glucose is what the body uses for energy, and the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin that helps convert the glucose from the food you eat into energy. When the body either does not produce enough insulin, does not produce any at all, or your body becomes resistant to the insulin, the glucose does not reach your cells to be used for energy. This results in the health condition termed diabetes.

There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.

• Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, because it usually is diagnosed during childhood. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body does not produce insulin because the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells from the pancreas called beta cells. Type 1 diabetes is treated by using insulin.

• Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which cells cannot use blood sugar (glucose) efficiently for energy. This occurs when blood sugar levels get too high over time, and the cells become insensitive or resistant to insulin (termed insulin resistance).

There are multiple medications used to treat type 2 diabetes.