Rochester General Medical Group
Types of Diabetes
Although there are many forms of diabetes, there are three main types of diabetes that require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional.
The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, but it is believed that people inherit a tendency to develop diabetes, and that viruses may be involved. People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections and regularly monitor their blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or to properly use, insulin. It is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for 90-95 percent of diabetes cases.
Gestational diabetes is a condition in which the glucose level is elevated and other diabetic symptoms appear during pregnancy in a woman who has not previously been diagnosed with diabetes. All diabetic symptoms disappear following delivery.
