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"Generally, patients see their physicians once every three months. But the decisions they make on a daily basis – what they eat, whether they exercise, medications they take and monitoring their blood sugars – are going to determine whether their diabetes is kept in good control."

‒ Denise Kaiser
Registered Dietician

Did You Know?

The exact causes of both types of diabetes are unknown. Type 1 diabetes tends to show up after exposure to a trigger, such as a virus, which can attack cells in the pancreas that make insulin. There is no one cause for Type 2 diabetes, but it seems to run in families, and most people who get it are overweight.


About diabetes: the basics

Type 1 Diabetes

People with Type 1 diabetes have a pancreas that doesn’t produce any insulin. They will depend on insulin treatment the rest of their lives.

Type 2 Diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes have a pancreas that produces too little insulin or doesn’t use insulin effectively. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. Most people who have diabetes have Type 2. Sometimes, insulin shots or other medication will be necessary.

When diabetes is not carefully managed by keeping the amount of sugar in the blood at the right level, the resulting high glucose amounts can harm nearly every organ system in the body.

Complications of diabetes can range from sudden, urgent issues to those that develop slowly over the years. They can have a devastating impact on your life and your loved ones. Among them:

  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Vision loss and blindness
  • Kidney Failure
  • Amputation
  • Nerve damage

Diabetes is serious and must be treated to avoid serious complications. But if you, your doctor and other professionals on your diabetes team work together, diabetes can be well controlled.

Learn more about goals for high quality diabetes care and how to live well with diabetes from our partners at Netwellness.org