Different Types of Diabetes

When someone says that they have diabetes, few people think to ask them which type of diabetes they have. All diabetes types are not created equally -- and there are several different types.

The most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2, with Type 2 being the most common. Other types of diabetes include gestational, hybrid, maturity onset diabetes, and secondary diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it is more usual for it to occur in children and teenagers. With Type 1, the pancreas stops producing any insulin at all, and insulin injections are usually required. Five to 10 percent of those who are diagnosed with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes, the most common type, can also occur at any age, but seems to occur most commonly in those who are overweight -- whether they are children or adults. Type 2 also affects certain ethnic groups more than others. The ethnic groups at the highest risk for developing Type 2 diabetes include Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics or Latinos. Type 2 diabetes may or may not require insulin injections, but is usually controlled for years with healthy eating and exercise.

Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women. A woman who is obese when she gets pregnant is at the greatest risk of developing gestational diabetes, but it may also affect those who have a family history of diabetes, as well as American Indians, Hispanics and Latinos, or African American women. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the birth of the baby, but having it does increase the chances of developing diabetes later in life. It also increases the child's chances of developing diabetes.

The other types of diabetes are much less common. Hybrid diabetes occurs in children, where they actually have a mix of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Maturity onset diabetes occurs in children as the result of a gene defect that creates faulty insulin secretion.  Secondary diabetes is Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes that develops as a result of another health problem.