What causes Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes develops when an autoimmune reaction causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin.

"Autoimmune reaction" means that the body creates antibodies against its own cells. When this happens, it means that you can no longer make your own insulin.

We don't know exactly why people get diabetes. But there is a lot of research going on right now to find out.

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Type 2 diabetes

There are some things in your background that make you more likely to get type 2 diabetes:

• Family history
  Type 2 diabetes especially tends to run in families. The more people in your family who have diabetes, the more likely you are to get it.
• Age
  Type 2 diabetes usually comes on later in life - often after age 40. The symptoms start gradually, so it's often harder to diagnose.
• Weight
  Being overweight increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. Enlarged fat cells don't respond well to insulin and that means the body works harder to produce more insulin.
• Pregnancy
  Extra demands on the pancreas cause some women to develop diabetes during pregnancy. This is called "gestational diabetes." Often, it goes away after delivery. But, later in life, diabetes may return. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greater for individuals with birth weight greater than 4 kg (9 lbs).