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Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into
energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although
both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to
play roles.
Type 1 diabetes:
Results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the
cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5-10%
of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes:
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin),
combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes
have type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes:
Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women - about 135,000 cases
in the United States each year.
Pre-diabetes:
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher
than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 41 million
Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 18.2 million with diabetes.
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