Diabetes

Pre-Diabetes

Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they frequently have "pre-diabetes" — blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes. The good news is there are things you can do to prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, but can happen at any age. Type 1 diabetes was previously known as juvenile diabetes and is caused by an immune related destruction of the cells which make insulin. In this form of diabetes the body is deficient in the hormone called insulin and the patient needs to be treated with insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even young children with type 1 diabetes can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy, happy lives.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes (almost 90% of all patients with diabetes have this type of diabetes). Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they have the disease or are at high risk for it. Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others; type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.

Although we do not know the exact causes of Type 2 Diabetes, we do know that it is genetic and runs in the family. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the body is resistant to the insulin that it makes. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetic complications. The treatment of this form of diabetes commonly uses oral medications or combination of oral medications plus insulin to achieve lower glucose levels.

Gestational Diabetes

During pregnancy – usually around the 24th week – many women develop gestational diabetes which commonly resolves after pregnancy. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes doesn't mean that you will always have diabetes, but is does predict a 70-80% chance of having permanent diabetes in your lifetime and typically occurs with each pregnancy. So it's important to follow your doctor's advice regarding blood glucose (blood sugar) levels during the pregnancy for a healthy baby and after the pregnancy to prevent or delay diabetes from coming back.

The American Diabetes Association has a tremendous amount of teaching materials and resources available to get more information on this complex disease and its potential complications.