Known Types of Diabetes
It is estimated that 5-10 % of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Having type 1 diabetes increases your risk for many serious health issues.
Some complications of type 1 diabetes include heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy).
Type 2 diabetes
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
Having type 2 diabetes increases your risk for many serious complications.
Some complications of type 2 diabetes include heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy).
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects about 4 % of all pregnant women – about 135,000 cases in the United States each year.
Because gestational diabetes can hurt you and your baby, you need to start treatment quickly.
Treatment for gestational diabetes aims to keep blood glucose levels equal to those of pregnant women who don’t have gestational diabetes.
Treatment for gestational diabetes always includes special meal plans and scheduled physical activity.
It may also include daily blood glucose testing and insulin injections.
You will need help from your doctor, nurse educator, and other members of your healthcare team so that your treatment for gestational diabetes can be changed as needed.
For the mother-to-be, treatment for gestational diabetes helps lower the risk of a cesarean section birth that very large babies may require.
Sticking with your treatment for gestational diabetes will give you a healthy pregnancy and birth, and may help your baby avoid future poor health.
Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
There are 40-plus million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 20-plus million who have diabetes.
