Diabetes Type 1 and 2 - whats the difference?
Coping with your diagnosis
What is diabetes?
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Type 1 DiabetesType 1 diabetes occurs when your body fails to produce any or enough of an important hormone called insulin. It is an auto-immune disease in which the beta-cells of the pancreas are destroyed. Beta-cell destruction eventually results in a complete inability to produce insulin. Without insulin, blood glucose levels increase significantly which can lead to chronic and potentially fatal conditions. Patients with Type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections in order to survive.
Type 2 DiabetesType 2 diabetes is by far the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 9 out of 10 cases. It occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced is unable to work properly. This in turn leads to higher than normal sugar levels in your bloodstream and, if left uncontrolled, this can lead to a number of dangerous complications, for example, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.The key risk factor for Type 2 diabetes is obesity, and as populations throughout the world assume a sedentary lifestyle, the incidence of Type 2 diabetes increases. Most patients with Type 2 diabetes are over the age of 40. However, the incidence in young people is increasing. It is also thought that a large percentage of people who have Type 2 diabetes are undiagnosed.
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