{"id":12018,"date":"2025-03-26T19:28:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=12018"},"modified":"2025-03-26T19:28:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:28:35","slug":"the-difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/the-difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12019 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-300x182.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-1024x622.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-768x466.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-1536x933.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-2048x1243.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-954821232-494x300.jpg 494w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body doesn\u2019t produce enough insulin or can\u2019t use the insulin it produces effectively.<\/p>\n<p>There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.<\/p>\n<p>Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have similar names, however, they are different diseases with distinctive causes.<\/p>\n<p>A key difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is type 1 is caused by an autoimmune reaction and develops early in life. Type 2 diabetes develops over several years and is related to lifestyle factors such as being inactive and carrying excess weight, and is usually diagnosed in adults.<\/p>\n<p>Type 1 diabetes is believed to be caused by an autoimmune reaction where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, mistaking them for foreign invaders. After the beta cells are destroyed, the body can no longer produce insulin.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers are unsure why the immune system attacks the body\u2019s cells. They believe it may be due to genetic and environmental factors, such as being exposed to viruses.<\/p>\n<p>People who have type 2 diabetes have an insulin resistance. The body can still produce insulin but is unable to use it effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers aren\u2019t sure why some people become insulin-resistant and others don\u2019t, but several lifestyle factors may contribute to it, such as being inactive and carrying excess weight.<\/p>\n<p>Other genetic and environmental factors may also play a role. When a person develops type 2 diabetes, the pancreas will overcompensate by producing more insulin. Because the body can\u2019t effectively use the insulin, glucose accumulates in the bloodstream.<\/p>\n<p>Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are less clear than risk factors for type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>The known risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Family history<\/li>\n<li>Age<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Having prediabetes or slightly elevated blood sugar levels<\/li>\n<li>Carrying excess weight or having obesity<\/li>\n<li>Having a lot of belly fat<\/li>\n<li>Being physically active less than three times a week<\/li>\n<li>Being over the age of 45<\/li>\n<li>Having had gestational diabetes<\/li>\n<li>Giving birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds<\/li>\n<li>Being Black, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, or Alaska Native due to structural inequities contributing to health disparities<\/li>\n<li>Having an immediate family member with type 2 diabetes<\/li>\n<li>Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If not managed properly, type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to symptoms that can include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Urinating frequently<\/li>\n<li>Feeling very thirsty and drinking a lot of fluids<\/li>\n<li>Feeling very hungry<\/li>\n<li>Feeling very fatigued<\/li>\n<li>Having blurry vision<\/li>\n<li>Having cuts or sores that don\u2019t heal properly<\/li>\n<li>Having very dry skin<\/li>\n<li>Having more infections than usual<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes can also experience irritability, mood changes, and unintentional weight loss.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, type 1 diabetes can\u2019t be prevented. However, it is possible to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes that include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Maintaining a moderate weight<\/li>\n<li>Working with a healthcare provider to develop a healthy weight-loss plan, if you are overweight<\/li>\n<li>Increasing activity levels<\/li>\n<li>Eating a balanced diet and reducing the intake of sugary foods and overly processed foods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are experiencing diabetes symptoms, you can call to schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/clinical-services\/ambulatory-care\/\">Ambulatory Care Center<\/a>\u00a0at (718) 206-7001.<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body doesn\u2019t produce enough insulin or can\u2019t use the insulin it produces effectively. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/the-difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,5,198,1,61,14,4],"tags":[963,1959,1960],"class_list":["post-12018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diabetes","category-general-health","category-genetic-disease","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-mens-health","category-womens-health","tag-diabetes","tag-type-1-diabetes","tag-type-2-diabetes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12018"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12020,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12018\/revisions\/12020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}