In the United States, people who are non-Hispanic white are most likely to get Type 1 diabetes, and it affects people assigned female at birth and people assigned male at birth almost equally. Who does Type 1 diabetes affect?Īnyone at any age can develop Type 1 diabetes (T1D), though the most common age at diagnosis is between the ages of 4 to 6 and in early puberty (10 to 14 years). Type 2 diabetes is much more common than Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children or young adults, but people of any age can get it. Type 2 diabetes usually affects older adults, though it’s becoming more common in children. In Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t make any insulin. Lifestyle factors, including obesity and a lack of exercise, can contribute to the development of Type 2diabetes as well as genetic factors. In Type 2 diabetes (T2D), your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin and/or your body doesn’t always use that insulin as it should - usually due to insulin resistance. While Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes are both forms of diabetes mellitus (as opposed to diabetes insipidus) that lead to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), they are distinct from each other. What is the difference between Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes was previously known as juvenile diabetes and insulin-dependent diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes need synthetic insulin every day in order to live and be healthy. This can lead to serious health problems or even death if it’s not treated. If you don’t have enough insulin, too much sugar builds up in your blood, causing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and your body can’t use the food you eat for energy.

When glucose enters your cells and the levels in your bloodstream decrease, it signals your pancreas to stop producing insulin.

Insulin helps glucose in your blood enter your muscle, fat and liver cells so they can use it for energy or store it for later use.Glucose enters your bloodstream, which signals your pancreas to release insulin.Your body breaks down the food you eat into glucose (sugar), which is your body’s main source of energy.Under normal circumstances, insulin functions in the following steps: Insulin is an important hormone that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic (life-long) autoimmune disease that prevents your pancreas from making insulin. See your provider as soon as possible if you or your child experience these symptoms. Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes typically start mild and get progressively worse or more intense, which could happen over several days, weeks or months.