Diabetes is the body's inability to regulate blood sugar, driven by a breakdown in the insulin process where the pancreas either stops producing insulin or the body's cells stop responding to it effectively.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90–95% of all diagnoses. This occurs when the body's cells become resistant to insulin. Type 2 can be linked to socioeconomics status, food access, lifestyle and genetics. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells. Type 1 used to be referred to as “juvenile diabetes," but this misnomer is slowly being corrected as 60% of type 1 diagnoses occur in people over 20 years old.

Treatment differs significantly between the two: type 2 can sometimes be managed through lifestyle changes, oral medications, or injectable drugs like Ozempic, while type 1 requires insulin therapy through multiple daily injections (MDI), insulin pens, or insulin pumps.

For a more in depth look at the different types of diabetes and the tech that can help reduce to day-to-day burden, check out our video above. Have you had to correct or fact-check people about diabetes? Tell us your story in the comments!

Disclaimer: Diabetech content is not medical advice—it’s for educational purposes only. Always consult with a physician before making changes to your healthcare.