Types of Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to produce insulin or unable to properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). Glucose backs up in the bloodstream — causing one’s blood glucose (sometimes referred to as blood sugar) to rise too high. There are two major types of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
In type 1 (fomerly called juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent) diabetes, the body completely stops producing any insulin, a hormone that enables the body to use glucose found in foods for energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections to survive. This form of diabetes usually develops in children or young adults, but can occur at any age. It is also more common in Northern American and European countries. People of Far East Asian descent have lower rates of type 1 diabetes compared with Caucasians.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 (formerly called adult-onset or non insulin-dependent) diabetes results when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and/or is unable to use insulin properly (insulin resistance). This form of diabetes usually occurs in people who are over 40, overweight, and have a family history of diabetes, although today it is increasingly occurring in younger people, particularly adolescents. People of African, Latino and Asian descent, as well as Native Americans, are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Up to 95% of the diabetes found in Asian descents have type 2 diabetes. These patients can often control their diabetes by making lifestyle changes at early stages. As the disease progresses, patients may need to take oral medications and/or insulin injections to further help them manage their blood glucose.
Gestational Diabetes
Sometimes diabetes is diagnosed during the course of a pregnancy. This condition is common among the Asian population.For a healthy baby, women with “gestational diabetes” need to learn to manage blood glucose, usually through diet and exercise. Sometimes insulin is required for the remainder of the pregnancy. Blood glucose levels of women with gestational diabetes usually return to normal after delivery of the baby. Women who have had gestational diabetes are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, however, especially if they are overweight.
Pre-Diabetes
People who have higher than normal blood glucose levels but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes are considered to have "pre-diabetes." People with pre-diabetes are already at risk for developing heart disease. If you have pre-diabetes, you are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
|
