Type 1 Diabetes vs. Type 2 Diabetes: What's the Difference?
Read the comparison below, or explore it visually. Create a visual lesson comparing type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes using available credits or plan allowance.
In type 1 diabetes the immune system destroys the insulin-making beta cells of the pancreas, so the body makes little or no insulin; in type 2 diabetes the body's cells respond poorly to insulin and the pancreas gradually cannot keep up. Both lead to high blood sugar, but type 2 is far more common, accounting for roughly nine in ten cases worldwide.
At a glance
| Type 1 Diabetes | Type 2 Diabetes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | Autoimmune attack on pancreatic beta cells | Insulin resistance plus falling insulin output |
| Insulin made | Little or none | Some, but not enough for the body's needs |
| Usual onset | Often childhood or young adulthood | Usually adults, increasingly younger people |
| Main risk factors | Genes and unknown triggers; not lifestyle | Excess weight, inactivity, family history, age |
| Management | Always requires insulin | Lifestyle changes, tablets, sometimes insulin |
Which should you use?
Type 1 typically appears in a child or young adult with sudden thirst, frequent urination and weight loss, because the body has lost its ability to produce insulin.
Type 2 typically develops slowly in adults, often found on a routine blood test, and is common in India, where many people develop it at a younger age and lower body weight.