Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood are higher than they should be, and there is not enough insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to control it. The disease can be caused by too little insulin, a resistance to insulin, or both. Patients may experience symptoms such as blurry vision, excess thirst, fatigue, frequent urination, hunger, and weight loss. The American Diabetes Association reports about 25.8 million Americans, or over 8% of the population, have one of the three types of diabetes, which are:
- Type 1 diabetes, which can occur at any age, but is most often diagnosed earlier in life
- Type 2 diabetes, which often occurs later in life, and is the most frequently diagnosed in the US
- Gestational diabetes, which occurs exclusively during pregnancy
