There are Four Types of Diabetes.

The first is called type 1 diabetes which affects some 5 – 10% of the total diabetic population. This condition used to be referred to as either insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes. Its cause is unknown, but it’s an autoimmune disease in which a person’s body attacks the cells that produce insulin in the organ called the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that is essential in assisting cells in the blood to accept sugar coming from food. When these cells (beta cells) in the pancreas can no longer produce insulin – it causes an inability of cells to accept the sugar which in turn causing the sugar to increase higher and higher. Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed before age 20. It’s rarely diagnosed later in life, but it can happen. Individuals who have this type of diabetes have to inject insulin via a syringe for the rest of their life. Individuals with this type of diabetes have to monitor their blood sugar closely every day and follow an active physical activity program. There is no cure, but there is some promising research that may heal these patients.

The second type of diabetes is called pre-diabetes. This condition does not mean that a person is diabetic – it means that it increases your chance of developing this disease, unless immediate action takes place. During this condition the blood sugar exceeds (120 mg/dl) the normal fasting number when fasting. Some individuals may take oral hypoglycemic medications (i.e. Glucophage) temporarily to help bring their blood sugar down. Physical activity (exercise) is essential to all diabetics and is one of the best ways along with a healthy diet to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.

The third type of diabetes and most frequent is called type II. This type affects nearly 90 – 95% of all diabetics. This disease begins with the body’s inability to accept insulin which in touch allows the sugar in the blood to be taken in the cell to get burned for energy. This condition is called insulin resistance. Or similar to type I diabetes, the body may not be produce enough insulin from the pancreas. As with each type of this disease, when blood sugar remains higher than 120 mg/dl at a fasting state, diabetes complications will soon follow. The following races seem to be more susceptible to developing this type of diabetes … Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans and Pacific islanders and Hawaiians.

The fourth and least common type is called Gestational diabetes. This type can occur during pregnancy. Between 40 – 60% of women with this type of diabetes will develop type II diabetes in a span of 10 years post-partum. The numbers are high, yes, but it is not inevitable that women with gestational diabetes will have diabetes for life.

Check back next week when we discuss diagnostic criteria for each type of diabetes.

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.