Department of Health
John J. Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, Commissioner

The three main kinds of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults.  Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin.  A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It develops most often in children and young adults, but can appear at any age.

Symptoms include:

• increased thirst and urination
• constant hunger
• weight loss
• blurred vision
• extreme fatigue

If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and ethnicity. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but the body cannot use the insulin effectively.  This condition is called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production will decrease. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develops gradually and their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms may include:

• fatigue or nausea
• frequent urination
• unusual thirst
• weight loss
• blurred vision
• frequent infections
• slow healing of wounds or sores

Some people have no symptoms.

• You are 45 years old or older.
• You are overweight.
• You have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.
• Your family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.
• You have had gestational diabetes, or gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• Your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, or have been told that you have high blood pressure.
• Your cholesterol levels are not normal, your HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) is 35 or lower, or your triglyceride level is 250 or higher.
• You are fairly inactive and exercise fewer than three times a week.

Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women - about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States each year. Some women may develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had gestational diabetes has a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years. Like type 2 diabetes, it occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and among women with a family history of diabetes.

You can do a lot to lower your chances of getting diabetes by exercising regularly, reducing fat and calorie intake, and losing weight. Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels also help you stay healthy.

See the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) or the American Diabetes Association for more information on diabetes.