Here is the first article in our six part series: The Details on Diabetes. Brandy Barnes has written a great article explaining the difference betwen Type I and Type II Diabetes.

Diabetes: What’s in a Name

Most people have heard of diabetes, but many are unclear about the different types of diabetes.  In fact, it is not uncommon for a person living with the disease to be unclear about which type of diabetes he/she has.  Today’s fast-paced, web-focused world often leaves the newly diagnosed patient on their own to educate him- or herself about the disease.

 Over the years, the names of the types of diabetes have changed and new types have been added to the list.  What used to be known as insulin-dependent diabetes is now known as Type 1 diabetes and what used to be referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes is now referred to as Type 2 diabetes.  There has also been a lot of talk recently about new types of diabetes such as Type 1.5 (slow-onset type 1) or pre-diabetes (high glucose levels, but not high enough for a type 2 diagnosis).  To keep it simple and because the majority of people with diabetes fit into the categories of Type 1 or Type 2, the focus will be on those two distinct, yet similar types of diabetes.   First, let me start by erasing a common a stereotype about diabetes: Type 1 diabetes is not a young person’s disease and Type 2 diabetes is not an old person’s disease.

Type 1

Essentially, type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make any insulin.  Insulin (a hormone) is essential to human life because it is responsible for absorbing the glucose from ingested carbohydrates.  In a person without diabetes, food enters the bloodstream and causes the glucose level to rise slightly.  The pancreas is immediately alerted to secrete the right amount of insulin to keep the glucose level within a healthy range.  When insulin is not readily available to be secreted into the blood stream, glucose levels rise rapidly.  Very high and very low glucose levels can be fatal.  In order for a person with Type 1 diabetes to live, he or she must take insulin injections daily or use an insulin pump.  Understandably, this type of diabetes comes on more rapidly and symptoms are much more visible. Although it is most often diagnosed in children and young adults, more and more type 1 diagnoses are occurring at a later age.  There is no known cause for this type of diabetes, and therefore no way to prevent it.

Type 2

Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% of diabetes cases.  In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces some insulin, but not enough to process the glucose from carbohydrates properly. In some cases, insulin is produced but the person’s cells no longer respond to it– often referred to as insulin resistance.  It is common for people with type 2 diabetes to begin treatment with diet and exercise to control their blood sugar level and then move to oral medications.  Eventually, the pancreas “burns out” and can’t produce enough insulin.  At that time, insulin injections are required to regulate glucose levels. Insulin resistance appears to be linked to obesity which is why people with pre-diabetes are told to monitor their diet and to increase their exercise to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes is much more gradual in onset, making it easy for people with type 2 diabetes go for many years undiagnosed.  This type of diabetes used to be seen only in older adults, but due to sky-rocketing obesity rates among children and adolescents in the US, people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at younger ages.

While there are differences in the two types of diabetes, there are also similarities.  For example, the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the same: frequent urination, increased thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, extreme fatigue and irritability.  People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes must do similar tasks on a daily basis: monitor their carbohydrate intake, check their glucose levels regularly and have carbohydrates on hand to treat low glucose levels.  Regular exercise and good nutrition are strongly recommended for people with both types of diabetes to manage their glucose levels.  In addition, regardless of the type of diabetes, individuals with both types of diabetes often deal with similar emotional issues (such as depression) that are related to the 24-hour-a-day management required by diabetes.  Both types of diabetes also put people with diabetes are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, so people with diabetes require more frequent check-ups.  The complications caused by consistently high glucose levels are also the same for both types of diabetes: kidney disease, blindness, and amputations are the most common.  However, the most important way that people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar is in their ability to live happy, successful, healthy lives if the disease is managed.  Regardless of what type of diabetes someone has, it is a manageable disease and it should not stop anyone from reaching his or her full potential in life!

Brandy Barnes, MSW is the Founder/Executive Director of DiabetesSisters (www.diabetessisters.org), a national 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women with, and those at risk of developing diabetes; and to advocate on their behalf.  She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in social work with a concentration in health settings from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She currently lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and daughter.  DiabetesSisters will be hosting the first-ever national conference for women with diabetes- the Weekend for Women Conference- in May 2010.  For more information or to register, please visit www.diabetessisters.org/weekend-for-women-conference. 

Related posts:

1. Living with Diabetes: Meet Gina
2. The Details on Diabetes: A Six Week Journey
3. Managing Gestational Diabetes
4. Raising a Child with Diabetes
5. Diabetes Health: An Exercise Caution (Giveaway!)