Diabetes is defined as an elevated blood glucose, but there are many causes of an elevated blood glucose. Diabetes is classified into different types, based on the various causes. The treatment will vary, depending on what is causing the problem. It is important to know what type of diabetes you have because your type of diabetes might need to be managed differently from someone else's. This section will help you learn about what kind of diabetes you have.
In this section, you will learn about:
- Type 1 Diabetes: when the body loses the ability to make insulin or can only make a very small amount of insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually caused by an autoimmune process, and your body's immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells. About 6% of individuals with diabetes in the U.S. have type 1 diabetes.
- Type 2 Diabetes: caused by a dual defect of resistance to the action of insulin combined with an inability to make enough insulin to overcome the resistance. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and represents 95% of diabetes worldwide.
- Other Types of Diabetes: a miscellaneous category that includes unusual or rare inherited or acquired causes of diabetes. This represents the minority of people with diabetes.
- Gestational Diabetes: diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy.
- Classification Table: a quick way to look up causes of diabetes.