What are the different types of diabetes?

What are the different types of diabetes?

We have all heard the word diabetes mentioned at least once, without necessarily knowing that there are actually different types. While they all share the common symptom of chronic hyperglycaemia – an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood – their origins and treatment are not the same [1,2]. To better understand them, let's look briefly at what characterises the different types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Although it can appear at any age, type 1 diabetes, affecting 5% to 10% of people living with diabetes, generally occurs during childhood and adolescence [1,3].

It is an autoimmune disorder in which, for reasons that remain unclear, the body's immune system starts producing antibodies that partially or completely destroy the pancreas cells specialized in the production of insulin, a hormone whose role is regulating the levels of glucose in the blood [1,2,3]. The result is that the body no longer produces insulin, or produces it in insufficient quantities [1].

Unlike other types of diabetes, people living with type 1 diabetes simply need regular doses of insulin to manage their blood glucose levels [1,3].

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the three different types. It affects 90% to 95% of people living with diabetes and generally develops during adulthood [1].

In type 2 diabetes, the body develops a certain resistance to insulin, and the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to compensate for it [1,3]. What causes this insulin resistance? A combination of genetic and behavioural factors. Someone with a family history of diabetes is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and, unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can also be brought on by a sedentary lifestyle and an unbalanced diet [1,2].

Just like type 1 diabetes, living with type 2 diabetes does not prevent you from living a full, satisfying life! Simply adopting a healthy lifestyle combining good eating habits and physical activity is enough to keep your blood sugar levels stable and balanced [1,2]. If this is not enough to bring your blood sugar levels back within the normal range, you may be prescribed a treatment based on anti-diabetic drugs and/or insulin [1].

Gestational diabetes

When chronic hyperglycaemia initially sets in, or is otherwise detected, during pregnancy, it is called gestational diabetes [1,2,4]. Gestational diabetes usually disappears following birth, but a woman who develops it during pregnancy is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later on [2,4].

According to the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) estimates, it affects approximately 13% of future mothers worldwide [5]. The treatment includes regular blood glucose monitoring, nutritional therapy, and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week [4]. In almost all cases, these precautions will help get blood sugar levels under control [4].

Each type of diabetes has its own characteristics, yet they all have one thing in common: none of them prevents you from enjoying a happy and active life!