What are the different types of diabetes?

Diabetes has two main forms: type 1 and type 2.

Type 2 is the most common. About 90 percent to 95 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It most often develops in middle-aged and older adults. It’s often linked with being overweight, obesity and physical inactivity.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body doesn’t make enough insulin and doesn’t efficiently use the insulin it makes (insulin resistance).

Type 1, or juvenile diabetes, usually starts early in life. It results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. People with it must take insulin each day to regulate levels of blood glucose (sugar).

In a nutshell, diabetes is a variety of conditions that make it hard for your body to deal with sugar. There are four types of diabetes. In the medical world we define them as:

• Type 1 diabetes - an autoimmune disorder, in which the body’s immune system attacks and kills off the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

• Type 1.5 - also called LADA, which stands for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults.

• Type 2 - the most common kind of diabetes in the world.

• Gestational Diabetes - which strikes women who are pregnant.

For what it is worth, doctors also talk about type 3; which is really just caring for someone with diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems for mothers and babies. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies and usually disappears when a pregnancy is over but increases the risk of type 2 diabetes later. Other specific types of diabetes resulting from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.


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There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Type 2 diabetes, which is far more common, occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or doesn't make enough insulin.

The term "diabetes" refers to a number of diseases, the most common being type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. In each, the body does not produce or properly use insulin -- a hormone that is needed to convert sugar starches and other food into the energy we need to live.

• Type 1 diabetes -- In this type of diabetes, the body fails to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose (sugar) to enter and fuel them. People who have type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to survive.
• Type 2 diabetes -- This is the most common form of diabetes. It develops when the body cannot produce or properly use insulin. Older people (and minorities) carry the highest risk for type 2, but a growing number of children and young adults are now being diagnosed with it.
• Gestational diabetes -- This type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy and then usually goes away after the baby is born. It's very important to treat gestational diabetes because it can harm the developing fetus. Mothers who experience gestational diabetes are also at greatly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Pre-diabetes -- This is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

The different types of diabetes are:

• Type 1: In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that make insulin. With little or no insulin, glucose accumulates in the blood and can't get to the cells that need it. People with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin injections or doses of insulin from an insulin pump to stay alive. Type 1 diabetes may also be referred to as juvenile-onset diabetes (because it's most often diagnosed in children and young adults) or insulin-dependent diabetes (because it requires insulin).

• Type 2: In type 2 diabetes, either there's not enough insulin to regulate blood sugar or there would be enough but the body's cells have become resistant to it and can't use it properly, or both. Often, type 2 diabetes starts with insulin resistance. The resulting high glucose in the blood stimulates the beta cells in the pancreas to continue producing more insulin until eventually the beta cells can wear out from constant overproduction and can no longer make enough insulin.
  
  You can help prevent -- or manage -- type 2 diabetes by being physically active, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight.

• Gestational diabetes: Diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes and occurs in about 7 percent of pregnant women. It's usually a temporary condition that goes away after pregnancy, but in some women it can continue even after childbirth. Gestational diabetes increases a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

• Other types of diabetes: Less common types of diabetes are caused by genetic conditions, medications, pancreatic disorders, infections, and other diseases.

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The three main types of diabetes are:

- Type 1 diabetes

- Type 2 diabetes

- Gestational diabetes