There
are two main types of diabetes, Type I and Type II:
Type
I diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes
(formerly called juvenile-onset diabetes, because it tends
to effect persons before the age of 20) affects about 10
percent of people with diabetes. With this type of diabetes,
the pancreas makes almost no insulin.
Type
II diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes
(formerly called adult-onset diabetes, because it is usually
discovered after age 40) affects about 90 percent of the
people with diabetes. With this type of diabetes, either
the pancreas produces a reduced amount of insulin, the cells
do not respond to the insulin, or both.
There are three less common types of diabetes called
gestational diabetes, secondary diabetes and impaired glucose
tolerance (IGT):
Gestational
diabetes occurs during pregnancy and causes a
higher than normal glucose level reading.
Secondary
diabetes is caused by damage to the pancreas
from chemicals, certain medications, diseases of the pancreas
(such as cancer) or other glands.
Impaired
glucose tolerance (IGT) is a condition in which
the person's glucose levels are higher than normal.
