Diabetes is a disease that affects your body’s ability to produce or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps transport glucose from food to cells. If you produce little or no insulin, or are insulin resistant, too much sugar remains in your blood, leading to high blood glucose levels. There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.
When you have Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not produce insulin. It is often diagnosed in children or teens but can occur in adults. This type accounts for 5-10 percent of people with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or when cells are insulin resistant. It’s commonly called “adult-onset diabetes” and accounts for 90-95 percent of diabetes cases.
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, affecting about 18 percent of pregnancies. It may go away after pregnancy, but it increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes later on. Prediabetes is another form where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not in the diabetes range.
Genetics, lifestyle, and environment can contribute to diabetes. Unhealthy diet, obesity, and lack of exercise are factors, especially for Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is autoimmune, where the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
High blood sugar levels over time can lead to kidney disease, heart disease, and blindness. It damages blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, and arteries.
A routine exam by an eye or foot doctor may reveal diabetes due to circulation issues. If suspected, your regular physician will conduct a fasting blood glucose test to diagnose diabetes. The normal range is 70 to 110 mg/dl, and a level of 126 mg/dl or greater may indicate diabetes.
See your doctor for tests to confirm diabetes or prediabetes. Your doctor will provide recommendations to manage blood sugar levels and treat diabetes or delay the development of Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care 2018 Jan; 41(Supplement 1)
CDC Diabetes – Prevalence
CDC Diabetes – Diagnosed and Undiagnosed
