I heard there are two types of Diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Does anyone know what the differences are between Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes?

Good question Michelle! Type 1 diabetes is considered the more serious of the two although both have the potential to harm in the long term as well as the short term.

Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which the body does not produce insulin (a hormone that aids in moving sugar from the blood to the cells). This type of diabetes can be due to a virus or autoimmune disorder in which the body does not recognise an organ as its own and attacks it. In this case the body attacks an organ known as the pancreas where insulin is made giving rise to the disease. Those with Type 1 Diabetes are required to take insulin injections to move sugar from the bloodstream. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed before age 40.

Type 2 Diabetes occurs when insulin that the body produces is less efficient at moving sugar out of the bloodstream. Some sugar is moved out of the blood, just not as effectively compared to a person with normal insulin efficiency. High blood sugars are a result of this. Treatment for this can be from diet control to medication with tablets.

Here's all the info about:
Type 1: [URL]http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/type-1-diabetes/overview.html[/URL]
Type 2: [URL]http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/type-2-diabetes/overview.html[/URL]

That is a great help Kelly, thanks for that! It is amazing how many people do not know what the difference is between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

1 often diagnosed at a young age and makes up about ten percent of all diabetics, and the insulin-independent form, or type 2 usually presents around middle age and accounts for 90 percent of all diabetics.