Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune response leading to the lack of insulin due to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetics usually get diagnosed in early life, many get diagnosed by the age of 3.
Type 2 diabetics still make insulin, at normal or elevated levels, but are insulin resistant. The beta cells in type 2 may or may not make enough insulin to control glucose synthesis in the liver, or to stimulate glucose uptake by skeletal muscle due to insensitivity.
Incidence
In 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes, which is 3.5 million people more than in 2010.
1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
It remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, with 234,051 death certificates listing diabetes as a contributing cause of death in 2010.
Only 5-10% of diabetics are type 1, the other 90-95% could be avoided by healthier lifestyle choices.
Risk Factors
The risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes are still not known and being researched; however, there is a trend of genetics playing a big role. Also, many scientists believe that some diseases and infections can lead to the damage of the pancreas, thus leading to diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, are preventable. They develop most often in middle-aged and older adults, and especially in those who are obese. The main things leading to Type 2 diabetes are: poor nutrition and obesity, high blood pressure, low levels of HDL, family history, and sedentary lifestyle and age.