Diabetes types

Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by high blood glucose levels. This abnormal high glucose levels in the blood due to either insulin deficiency or to resistance of the body’s cells to the action of insulin. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines four major types of diabetes.

Classification of Diabetes
Classified based on the cause or mode of treatments, they are

insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) - need insulin shots to maintain blood glucose level,
non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) - insulin shot are not must to normalize glucose level,
gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) - diabetes develops during pregnancy and mostly disappear after delivery,
secondary to other conditions (e.g. pancreatic disease, Hormonal disease, Drug or chemical exposure, Insulin receptor abnormalities, certain genetic syndromes).

Diabetes can be diagnosed by the presence of the classic signs & symptoms and unequivocally elevated blood glucose levels, by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) 140 mg/dl, or by venous plasma glucose 200 mg/dl at 2 hours after a 75-g oral glucose challenge.

Video on type of diabetes

There are two major types of diabetes
Presently diabetes is broadly classified in to two major types.

type 1 diabetes or insulin depentent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile diabetes, the pancreas is failed to produce hormone insulin. Thus glucose is not properly metabolized resulting in high blood glucose level and the patient needs insulin shots.
type 2 diabetes or non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or insulin resistance. Pancreas produces insulin, but it may be insufficient or body needs some excess insulin, since cells looses its sensitivity (insulin resistance). Type 2 Diabetes is very common, particularlly along elderly people.

Type 2 diabetes are sub divided
The diabetes type 2 can be sub divided into two types they are

pre-diabetes - blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough to diagnose as diabetes. That is border line diabetes can be reversed with proper food and physical activities.
gestational diabetes - diabetes that develops during pregnancy due to hormonal changes that accur naturally during pregnancy.

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