D-Types
Why should you know what “TYPE” of diabetes do you have?
Proper understanding your type of diabetes lets you know whether you have been correctly diagnosed, but more importantly, it makes you aware of whether or not you are receiving correct treatment. Knowing your diabetes type can also give you a better understanding of the changes that may occur to you as you age and your disease progresses. This can lead to problems in treatment and health. Misunderstanding changes in the disease as you age can also lead to mistreatment. The lack of a way to clearly define the different types of diabetes has allowed people to be misdiagnosed, especially if the diagnosed was based on the typical body type or age. Misdiagnosis or an unclear diagnosis is fairly common in the cases of Type 1.5 and Type 2. Be your own health advocate to make sure your are receiving proper care for yourself or for the diabetic in your life!
Type 1 Diabetes (juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes)
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. This number is actively growing. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or oral medications. Insulin injections may later be required.
Type 1.5 Diabetes
A form of diabetes sometimes called “double diabetes,” in which an adult has aspects of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. People with Type 1.5 diabetes are said to have “double” diabetes because they show both the autoimmune destruction of beta cells of Type 1 diabetes and the insulin resistance characteristic of Type 2 diabetes. People with Type 1.5 have autoantibodies and gradually lose their insulin-producing capability, requiring insulin within 5–10 years of diagnosis. As their insulin resistance suggests, many people with Type 1.5 diabetes are obese or overweight.
Type 3 Diabetes
Type 3 diabetes is a term that people refer to friends and family of diabetics but who are not diabetic themselves. I can not explain how silly it is to call a non diabetic person a Type 3 diabetic. I don’t advocate the use of this term. I have not seen any medical website use this term to describe a non diabetic person.
There is a real condition that is not totally accepted by the medical community called Type 3 Diabetes. Insulin is not only produced in the pancreas but also in the brain. A reduction in the insulin levels in the brain has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and brain insulin resistance. Memory loss has been linked to Type 2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
GDM, or carbohydrate intolerance, is first diagnosed during pregnancy through an oral glucose tolerance test. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment.
MODY and NDM
Genetic defects of the beta cell cause several forms of diabetes. Monogenic forms of diabetes result from mutations, or changes, in a single gene. In most cases of monogenic diabetes, the gene mutation is inherited. In the remaining cases, the gene mutation develops spontaneously. Most mutations in monogenic diabetes reduce the body’s ability to produce insulin. Genetic testing can diagnose most forms of monogenic diabetes. For treatment try to find an Endocrinologist that has a background in MODY diabetes. Not all Endo’s are astute in this matter.
NDM is a form of diabetes that occurs in the first 6 months of life. Infants with NDM do not produce enough insulin, leading to an increase in blood glucose. NDM can be mistaken for the much more common type 1 diabetes, but type 1 diabetes usually occurs after the first 6 months of life.
Other Types of Diabetes
There are other ways to acquire diabetes by injury of the pancreas by disease, chemicals cancer or physical trauma. I am not sure if the medical community has given specific names to this variety of diabetes.
