Diabetes is considered as a metabolic condition that leads to poor control of the blood sugar levels. When eating, the blood sugar increases which stimulates the pancreas to generate insulin which is a blood sugar regulating hormone. This is required to move sugar from the blood into the body tissues where it can be utilized for energy.
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Individuals who have this condition could not produce insulin or do not respond to it properly. This results to an unceasingly elevated level of blood sugar which is a severe condition that can lead to organ and blood vessels damage as well as shortened life span. Always bear in mind that diabetes is becoming a common condition that affects millions of individuals all over the world. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors including inactivity and poor diet are the leading contributing factors to the increase in the disease.
Type-2 diabetes
When it comes to type-2 diabetes, it has a strong genetic component. Nevertheless, it takes more than just the family history for the condition to develop. This type is instigated in large part by an unhealthy diet, inactivity and obesity. It starts slowly with a steady loss of sensitivity to insulin which is called insulin resistance.
As the body becomes less reactive to insulin, more is required to handle the sugar present in the blood. As insulin resistance continues, the body becomes increasingly less active in maintaining the blood sugar level to a healthy range, thus resulting to type-2 diabetes.
Always bear in mind that type-2 diabetes accounts for majority of diabetes cases in different parts of the globe. Many individuals are at high risk for developing type-2 diabetes. It is good to note that this type of diabetes can be prevented with lifestyle modifications that include exercise, healthy diet, losing weight and cessation of smoking.
Type-1 diabetes
Type-1 diabetes is considered as an autoimmune disease. It is still unclear on the exact reason why the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The destruction of these cells can lead to loss of the organ’s capability to produce insulin, thus type-1 diabetes develops.
Remember that type-1 diabetes has the tendency to run in families and develops in childhood or adolescence. There are also environmental factors that can instigate the autoimmune assault on the pancreas. In some cases, viral infections that occur in infancy are connected to an elevated risk for developing type-1 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a type of blood sugar intolerance that develops in some cases of pregnancies. The exact cause is still unknown but this type typically occurs more among women who are obese or has a family history of diabetes.
Insulin resistance has a vital role in gestational diabetes. Women who have gestational diabetes face a higher risk for developing type-2 diabetes especially during the initial 5 years after pregnancy. Screening is recommended for women with gestational diabetes for ongoing diabetes 6-12 weeks after delivery as well as every 3 years after.