Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is often diagnosed early on in life, although it can appear at any age.

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin producing cells of the pancreas which eventually leads to the pancreas stopping or reducing supplies of insulin to the body. Without insulin, the body’s cells can’t get the energy they need.

People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive as their bodies are producing very little or no insulin.

Type 2 diabetes tends to be associated with obesity and often occurs in older people. 

The body converts carbohydrates into glucose and responds by releasing insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body no longer releases enough insulin into the bloodstream or the insulin cannot be used properly, so blood glucose levels rise. If this is left unchecked it can cause long term health problems.

There are different ways to support people with type 2 diabetes which we will cover later in this course.

Gestational diabetes can only develop during pregnancy. It happens because insulin-blocking hormones are produced during pregnancy.

In most cases, gestational diabetes goes away after the baby is born. Having had gestational diabetes during pregnancy does mean a person has a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later on in life. 

Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.

Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY)

This type of diabetes runs strongly in families. If a parent has a specific gene mutation, any child they have has a 50% chance of inheriting it. They will then generally go on to develop MODY before they are 25 years old. More info via this link.

Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD)

Shares some features with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes but involves scarring of the pancreas preventing it from producing normal amounts of insulin. More via the link.

Alström syndrome

An ultra rare recessively inherited genetic condition. More info here.