Associação Childrens Diabetic Trust

Diabetes is a chronic illness that will affect you every day for the rest of your life. The treatment of diabetes involves lifelong medication with insulin, but also a lifelong adaptation of one’s lifestyle. TYPE 1 DIABETES

insulin dependente diabetes, IDDM

Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes
as the onset is usually before the age of 35. Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent,
meani

ng that insulin therapy is required from
the onset of the disease. In type 1 diabetes
the insulin producing cells of the pancreas are
destroyed, eventually leading to a total loss of
insulin production. Without insulin glucose
remains in the blood stream and the blood
glucose level increases, especially after meal
time. Glucose will then be passed into the urine. TYPE 2 DIABETES

non-insulin dependent diabetes, NIDDM

Type 2 diabetes is also called adult onset
diabetes as the onset usually occurs after the
age of 35 - 40. In type 2 diabetes the ability to
produce insulin is not totally abolished. The
body displays an increased insulin resistance,
which however can be improved by
medication. Most often insulin therapy is not
needed initially in type 2 diabetes. The tablets
don’t contain insulin, but act by increasing the
sensitivity for insulin in the cells or by
increasing the release of insulin from the
pancreas. Type 2 diabetes is also called noninsulin dependent diabetes but approximately 10% are treated with insulin in much the same way as those with type 1 diabetes. Being overweight will make you more
vulnerable to type 2 diabetes as your body in
the long run will not be able to produce the
large amounts of insulin necessary to keep the
blood sugar normal.