What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.
With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease vision loss, and kidney disease.
What is the difference between Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), also known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are mistakenly destroyed by the body’s immune system. Its causes are not fully known, and there is currently no cure. People with TID are dependent on injected or pumped insulin to survive. Symptoms often develop quickly and is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults. Approximately 5-10% of the people who have diabetes, have T1D.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is often diagnosed later in life and can be due to genetic predisposition or behavioral. T2D is a metabolic disorder in which a person’s body still produces insulin but is unable to use it effectively. It can be managed with diet and exercise or medication. More serious cases may require insulin therapy. Though they share the name diabetes, the two diseases are quite different.
This infographic from Cardio Smart American College of Cardiology has a lot of really good information about T2D.
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month!
During the month of November, people all over the country team up to spread awareness about diabetes and highlight the urgent need to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications. Visit www.jdrf.org for more information on this disease including symptoms, treatment, and more ways to help.
