Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use
insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that provides the body with glucose, which is the body’s main source of energy. Diabetes results when insulin is not available to take the glucose from the blood into the cells and a build up of glucose in the blood occurs.
There are three major types of diabetes including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes usually affects children and young adults, and is formally known as juvenile diabetes.
In type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to use insulin effectively. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In gestational diabetes, pregnant women who have never been diagnosed with diabetes develop high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that can be treated with diet and lifestyle changes.
