Diabetes is a condition where the body can’t make insulin, or can’t use it well. Insulin is a hormone that helps our bodies get energy from the glucose in the food we eat. Without it, glucose levels in the blood stream are too high. Over time, this can cause damage to your body tissue and organs.1
There are three main types of diabetes.1
- Type 1 diabetes can affect anyone, but most often it develops in children or young adults. People with this type of diabetes produce very little insulin, or none at all.
- Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. People with type 2 diabetes either make too little insulin, or their bodies aren’t able to use it effectively.
- Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a form of diabetes that appears during pregnancy. While GDM usually goes away after pregnancy, it puts women and their babies at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.