diabetes.Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
A lack of insulin is the primary characteristic of type 1 diabetes. Treatment involves regular injections with insulin.Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of diabetes.
It is not an autoimmune condition and typically involves resistance to rather than a lack of insulin. Treatments include medications to increase insulin sensitivity and lifestyle changes, such as following a healthful diet.Previously, experts have associated the two forms with different age groups:However, this view is shifting due to rising rates of childhood obesity and recent findings that type 1 diabetes can occur later in life.