Diabetes

What is Diabetes

It is important for everyone at risk of type 2 diabetes to understand the causes of the disorder because it is by treating the causes early - and effectively - that we can prevent or minimize the severity of the complications associated with this disease.

Below you will find answers to some of the questions frequently asked by people learning about diabetes. We hope this information helps you better understand what diabetes is.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is a condition characterized by high levels of blood glucose (the simple sugar that "fuels" the cells of the human body). Diabetes develops when the body can't produce or effectively use a hormone called insulin that helps to remove excess glucose from the blood.

The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, which is caused by the body's failure to make enough insulin or to be able to use it properly. The second most common type of diabetes is type 1 diabetes, which happens when the body can no longer make this vital hormone.

What is Type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes develops when the body can no longer make insulin, the hormone that helps to remove excess glucose (the simple sugar that "fuels" the cells of the human body) from the blood. People with type 1 diabetes must be treated with injections of supplemental insulin. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 10-15% of all diabetes and occurs most frequently in children and adolescents.

What is Type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes, which occurs mainly in adults, is a much more common than type 1 diabetes and accounts for roughly 85-95% of all cases diagnosed. Patients with type 2 cannot produce or effectively use a hormone called insulin that helps to remove excess glucose from the blood. Type 2 diabetes has different causes and can develop and go undetected for years in people at risk. Decades can pass before it begins to show any signs, which is why type 2 diabetes is usually detected first in the middle aged or elderly, long after damage to the body has already started.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 135 million people worldwide are affected by type 2 diabetes, and it is probable that even more will have developed this condition by the year 2025 -- from 200 to 300 million¹.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Diabetes type 2 is symptomatic only when blood glucose levels are above normal. Common symptoms of high blood sugar in diabetes include being very thirsty, frequent urination, weight loss, lethargy, blurred vision, and recurrent infections. On the other hand, many people do not have any symptoms at all and therefore early detection is very important. The main sign of diabetes is too much glucose in your blood, something your doctor can detect.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and age accelerate development of the disease in susceptible individuals. The factors that determine whether an individual develops type 2 diabetes or not are mainly genetic (i.e., in the family).

What is Insulin?

The primary "tool" used by the body to keep blood sugar levels under control is a hormone called Insulin. Insulin is made by special cells (called beta cells) found in the pancreas. When a person who does not have diabetes eats something, the body releases insulin the pancreas as part of the process that converts food into fuel. Insulin helps cells in various organs to take in the glucose (sugar) that they need as fuel and also helps remove high levels of glucose from the bloodstream. In this way, post mealtime glucose spikes (high blood sugar levels after meals) are turned into normal blood sugar levels. Someone who cannot make insulin or one who cannot make proper, effective use of the insulin produced, ends up "starving" the cells of insulin and leaving blood sugar levels higher than they should be.