Which Type of Diabetic Are You?

Everyone asks that question when they find out you've been diagnosed with diabetes.  Until we were faced with this diagnosis, I had never given thought that there were multiple types of Diabetes.  Of course my husband answers "I don't have diabetes".  Which according to his numbers these last few weeks he doesn't.  We've been blessed to have readings in the 90's.  With such great results we will not go back to our old way of eating for sure!

Anyway back to the topic at hand.  What are the types of diabetes?  

First what exactly is diabetes?  It is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects your body's ability to use the energy found in food.  There is Type 1, Type 2 and gestational and I found out there is a Type 3 as well.

All types have something in common, normally your body will break down the sugars and carbs you eat into glucose.  Glucose fuels the cells in your body.  But the cells need insulin (a hormone) in your bloodstream to take in the glucose and use it for energy.  Your body either doesn't make enough insulin, it can't use the insulin it makes, or a combination of both.  Since cells can't take in the glucose it builds up in your blood.  High levels of blood glucose can damage the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys, heart, eyes, or nervous system.  If diabetes is left untreated it can cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and nerve damage in the feet.

Type 1

 This used to be known as juvenile-onset diabetes because it often begins in childhood.  It is also called insulin-dependent diabetes.

Type 1 is an autoimmune condition.  It's caused by the body attacking its own pancreas with antibodies.  The damaged pancreas doesn't make insulin.  There are a number of medial risks associated with Type 1.  They included diabetic retinopathy (damage to the tiny blood vessels in your eyes), diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic nephropathy (kidney nerve damage).  Type 1 diabetes takes insulin via injection or via an insulin pump.  

Type 2

The most common form of diabetes is Type 2.  It used to be called adult-onset diabetes.  Type 2 is also called non-insulin-dependent.  Type 2 is often a milder form but van still cause major health complications in the smallest blood vessels in the body that nourish the kidneys, nerves and eyes.  It also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

With Type 2, the pancreas produces some insulin but it is either not enough for the body's needs or the body's cells are resistant to it.  Insulin resistance or lack of sensitivity to insulin happens primarily in fat, liver, and muscle cells.  People who are obese are at a high risk of developing Type 2 and its related medical problems.  The pancreas has to work overly hard to produce more insulin but there is not enough to keep sugars normal.

There is no cure, however Type 2 can be controlled with weight management, nutrition and exercise.

Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes that triggered by pregnancy is called gestational diabetes.  It is often diagnosed in the middle to late pregnancy.  Because high blood sugar levels in a mother are circulated through the placenta to the baby, gestational diabetes must be controlled to protect the baby's growth and development.

With gestational diabetes, risks to the unborn baby are even greater than risks to the mother. Risks to the baby include abnormal weight gain before birth, breathing problems at birth, and higher obesity and diabetes risk later in life. Risks to the mother include needing a cesarean section due to an overly large baby, as well as damage to heart, kidney, nerves, and eye.

Type 3 

During a study conducted at the Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, researchers made a discovery; the hormone insulin was not just produced by the pancreas as previously thought.  Researches discovered that the brain was also responsible to producing small amounts of insulin.  One of the revelations was the discovery of insulin's effect on the brain.  Type 3 is a condition where the brain does not produce enough insulin.  In the absence of insulin, the brain is affected much the way the body is in Type 1 or Type 2.  It often occurs in people who have either type already.

Type 3 is know as brain diabetes.  In Type 3 the brain either doesn't produce enough insulin for new memory formation or is resistant to the insulin it produces.  Without insulin, those insulin receptors die.  Without those insulin receptors, the brain can't for new memories.  This inability to form new memories is what produces the Type 3 symptoms, signs and difficulties that mimic those of Alzheimer's and dementia.  Sufferers experience the memory loss and confusion that is typical of both diseases.  Because of the similarity of these diseases, doctors often have trouble diagnosing Type 3 unless they are specifically looking for it using MRI technology.

Diabetes Types 3 was only officially recognized as an illness in 2005. But doctors already know quite a bit about how to treat the disease. Much of that head start is thanks to the fact that the treatment for type 3 diabetes symptoms is very similar to the treatment for diabetes Type 2.

One of the keys to treating and preventing the onset of diabetes Type 3 is to exercise. Regular exercise three to five times a week combined with a healthy diet helps to maintain the healthy weight that wards off the disease. Obesity — especially in women — is a key factor in the onset of both type 2 and type 3 diabetes.

Doctors also treat diabetes Type 3 with the same drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes like regular doses of insulin and insulin-sensitizing rosiglitazone. These drugs actually slow and even prevent further memory loss. They do this by protecting the brain’s neurons from the damaging ADDLs.

Cholesterol build up is another similarity between diabetes of all types and Alzheimer's. Certain preliminary trials have found that lipid lowering drugs used to fight high cholesterol are effective in treating diabetes Type 3. Today, many type 3 diabetes sufferers are turning to this drug for relief.

So now you may know more than you ever wanted to about Diabetes!  The key is to eat healthy and exercise (manage your weight).