Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high glucose levels in the blood and the person suffering from diabetes is called Diabetic. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. For diabetes patients their body either does not produce enough insulin, or does not adequately respond to the insulin it is producing. This causes blood sugar levels to be higher than normal.

Diabetes can be associated with serious complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, stroke and lower-limb amputations, but steps can be taken to control the disease and lower the risk of complications.

Diabetes Types

Type 1 diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes (previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes) develops when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, which make insulin. This type usually occurs in children and young adults, who must have insulin delivered by injections or a pump in order to survive. Type 1 diabetes may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors include autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors.

Type 2 diabetes:

Type 2 diabetes (previously known as non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes) develops gradually, and is usually caused by a combination of impaired secretion of insulin and reduced sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin (insulin resistance).

This type usually occurs in adults, however it is increasingly being diagnosed in people at a younger age, even in childhood and adolescence. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes, and the prevalence is rising at an alarming rate throughout the world.

Type 2 diabetes can be controlled. Therapeutic lifestyle management such as following a careful diet and exercise program, and losing excess weight may help, though oral medications are often necessary. Risk factors include older age, obesity, a family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity.

Other Diabetes Types:

Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT): Impaired Glucose Tolerance is an intermediate state between normal blood glucose control and type 2 diabetes. IGT is an early sign that a person's carbohydrate metabolism is impaired. It carries a high risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes. IGT (and type 2 diabetes) result from a combination of impaired secretion of insulin and reduced sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin (insulin resistance).

Gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes is a form of glucose intolerance diagnosed in some women during pregnancy, but usually disappears after the mother gives birth. Treatment is required to normalize blood glucose levels to avoid complications in the infant.

Secondary diabetes: Secondary diabetes can result from other conditions such as specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other damage to or diseases of the pancreas.