Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in the body is too high because the body cannot use it properly.
Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in childhood and is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin, the hormone that controls levels of glucose (blood sugar). Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in adult life. The body does not produce enough insulin, or the body doesn’t respond properly to the insulin
produced (this is called ‘insulin resistance’).
For more information, read NAM's factsheet on Diabetes.