Diabetes is a condition which can cause a lot of problems for the person suffering from it and can be fatal if left untreated. With Covid-19 also being around at the moment, people with diabetes are in one of the higher risk groups if they were to contract this virus.

 

You will probably have heard a lot about type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A lot of research is going on into both types to try to find better ways of treating this illness – for example, companies like https://www.trials4us.co.uk/ run paid clinical trials looking into this. So, what is the difference between type 1 and type 2?

Type 1 – Type 1 diabetes is caused when the body makes no insulin. Insulin is the hormone that makes it possible for the glucose in our blood to enter the cells and provide them with energy. Because there is no insulin being made in the body of someone with type 1 diabetes, when the glucose gets into the blood it cannot get into the cells – which then means the blood sugar levels rise too high and cause problems.

Type 2 – This is by far the most common form of diabetes – over 90% of people who have diabetes have type 2. In type 2 diabetes, the body does make insulin, but it doesn’t work properly which then prevents it entering the cells, as with type 1. This form of diabetes can be controlled with a diet which a doctor will be able to advise on – left untreated, it can lead to type 1 diabetes.