About Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. More than 37 million people in the U.S. now have the disease and 96 million are at risk of developing it. Moreover, 1 in 4 people don’t know they have diabetes and 1 in 3 are pre-diabetic. This healthcare crisis has come with a staggering cost in excess of $327 billion annually and continues to climb as more people develop the disease.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational (diabetes while pregnant). Prediabetes simply means you have a higher than normal blood sugar level but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes
Caused by an autoimmune reaction which affects your pancreas’ ability to make insulin. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that converts sugar (glucose) into energy.

Type 2 Diabetes
A condition that occurs when your body can’t properly process sugar into energy. The body fails to use insulin correctly, or the pancreas fails to make enough insulin.

Gestational
Occurs during pregnancy and is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. Blood sugar usually returns to normal after birth.