What is the difference between "type 1" and "type 2" diabetes?
There are two kinds of diabetes and it's very important that people know what kind they have if they have diabetes, and even what kind of diabetes they are at risk of getting. Type 1 is the least common kind and we used to call type 1 diabetes 'juvenile onset diabetes' because we only thought kids got it. However, in my practice, I've seen people as old as 94 years get type 1 diabetes, because what type 1 diabetes means is that there is an abnormal response in the body. The body makes what we call antibodies (the infection-fighting cells), that destroy the Beta cells (the insulin-creating cells) in the pancreas so the body stops making insulin. When you have type 1 diabetes, you must take insulin injections for the rest of your life. That's what type 1 diabetes means; not making enough insulin, meaning the body can't use the sugar that's in your blood. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common kind. It's a world-wide epidemic. It is really one of the most serious diseases of our time. In many cases type 2 diabetes occurs in people who have a family history of diabetes, and it also occurs because many people develop it as they gain weight and become sedentary. We used to call it 'adult onset diabetes' because we thought that older people got it, but the oldest case I know of adult onset diabetes is in a two-year-old. So, we know that age doesn't really matter. What matters, in many cases, is one's habits; one's health habits. That is, whether one keeps fit and active and takes care of themselves, or over time becomes heavier, less active, and then develops type 2 diabetes.
