About Diabetes

Diabetes:  A Complex Disease

There are a number of forms of diabetes that exist today:

Type 1 Diabetes:  When the body loses the ability to make insulin or can only make a very small amount of insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually caused by an autoimmune process, and your body's immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells. About 10% of individuals with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
 
Type 2 Diabetes:  Caused by a dual defect of resistance to the action of insulin combined with an inability to make enough insulin to overcome the resistance. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and represents 80% to 90% of diabetes worldwide.
 
Other Types of Diabetes:  A miscellaneous category that includes unusual or rare inherited or acquired causes of diabetes. This represents the minority of people with diabetes.
 
Gestational Diabetes:  Diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy.

Consult this website’s site map for a full listing of all diabetes topics covered, http://dtc.ucsf.edu/site-map/