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What types of diabetes are there?

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Kathy Reily: There are three types of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is caused by an autoimmune response that destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. With type 1 diabetes, you will have to take insulin from the first day you are diagnosed in order to control the blood sugar. About 9-10% of all people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes and it is more commonly diagnosed in infants, children, teenagers and young adults. Type 2 diabetes is where the pancreas is no longer producing enough insulin and also there is some insulin resistance to the insulin that is there in the pancreas. About 90% of all people with diabetes will have type 2 and it is more commonly diagnosed in adults. But we are now seeing it being diagnosed in the younger age groups, even into the teens and middle school years. Gestational Diabetes is the third type kind of diabetes. It is diagnosed in about 6-7% of all pregnant women usually, in the second or third trimester and the reason is the same. They just do not have enough insulin to process the carbohydrate and the glucose. It usually goes away when they deliver, but it is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.