Type 1 occurs when the pancreas does not produce or stops producing insulin which helps digested food produce glucose—a form of sugar the body uses for energy. When people have diabetes, the glucose in their bloodstream reaches above-normal levels and must be controlled.
Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and can be diagnosed at any age. Type 2 diabetes results when the body either does not produce enough insulin or the insulin is not used properly. Pre-diabetes is a condition often present prior to the development of type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetic.
Pre-diabetes does not have to lead to the development of diabetes if weight control and increased physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes appears during pregnancy in some women and usually disappears after pregnancy. Women who have had gestational diabetes, however, have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing diabetes in the next five to ten years.
Learn more on the The Diabetes Epidemic: An Inside View
Approximately 762,000 Pennsylvania adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and the number keeps climbing. Member physician Wilfred Victorina, MD, FACE, discusses the influence of lifestyle.