How do the three main types of diabetes differ?
Although the three main types of diabetes are similar in the build-up of blood glucose due to problems with insulin, there are differences in cause and treatment: • type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, resulting in no or a low amount of insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily in order to live. • type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes is a result of the body’s inability to make enough, or to properly use, insulin. Type 2 diabetes may be controlled with diet, exercise, and weight loss, or may require oral medications and/or insulin injections. • gestational diabetes Gestational diabetes is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. Women with gestational diabetes may require insulin during pregnancy.
