Understanding type 1 vs type 2 diabetes

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the two main types of diabetes.
They both affect the way the body processes glucose, but there are big differences in the conditions themselves, as well as in how they are treated.

What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

For people with type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t produce any insulin at all.
For those with type 2 diabetes the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin doesn’t work effectively¹.

Insulin is crucial for transporting glucose from food out of the bloodstream and into the cells, where it can be used for energy².
This helps to ensure that your blood sugar levels stay within a healthy range.
In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes the lack of, or inefficiency of, insulin means this doesn’t happen.
As a result, the level of glucose in the blood is too high.
Treatment is needed to bring blood sugar levels down so that the body can function properly. This also reduces the risk of longerterm complications.
Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1 diabetes.

What is type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks itself, in this case destroying the beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin.
You can’t do anything to prevent type 1 diabetes, and type 1 diabetes currently cannot be cured.
Although it’s more commonly diagnosed in childhood, you can develop type 1 diabetes at any age³.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes either the body cannot produce enough insulin, or the body cannot use the insulin properly - this is known as insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance means the body needs more insulin to keep blood sugar levels within range, and the pancreas can wear out from having to produce greater amounts⁴.
It can take a lot longer for symptoms of type 2 diabetes to develop, and they are not always obvious⁴.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes can develop very quickly. Look out for diabetes UK's The 4Ts which are the most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes3: Toilet, Thirsty, Tired, Thinner.

It is advised to seek medical advice if you start to display the following symptoms5:

feeling very thirsty
peeing more than usual, particularly at night
feeling very tired
losing weight without trying
thrush that keeps coming back
blurred vision
cuts and grazes that are not healing
fruity-smelling breath

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes

According to the NHS, symptoms include⁶:

peeing more than usual, particularly at night
feeling thirsty all the time
feeling very tired
losing weight without trying to
itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
blurred vision

Type 2 diabetes mostly affects those over the age of 40, or 25 if you’re of South Asian descent^6,7.
Different factors that put someone at increased risk of type 2 diabetes include: age, family history of the condition, being overweight or obese, and ethnicity - people from African Caribbean, Black African or South Asian backgrounds are at higher risk from a younger age^6,8.
Currently there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, although it is sometimes possible to be put into diabetes remission with effective treatment⁹.

Treatment for type 1 diabetes

Because people with type 1 diabetes don’t produce any insulin, they need to use insulin to treat the condition. This is done using insulin injections or an insulin pump.
Frequently checking blood sugar levels via finger prick testing, or a continuous or flash glucose monitor, is also an important part of type 1 diabetes management.
It helps to determine how much insulin is needed to keep blood glucose within a safe and healthy range.
This can help to prevent glucose levels from running too high (also know as hyperglycaemia) or too low (also known as hypoglycaemia) for sustained periods of time.

Who qualifies for an insulin pump?

Treatment for type 2 diabetes

Some people manage their type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise, but many people require medication to help keep their glucose levels in range.
These are the main treatments for type 2 diabetes⁹:
• Eating well and moving more
• Weight loss
• Medications that help lower blood glucose*
Medical treatments should be discussed with your healthcare professional.

Are insulin pumps used for type 2 diabetes in the UK?

Can Omnipod be used for type 2 diabetes in the UK?

We have additional modules that explain blood sugar levels and hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in more detail.

Other forms of diabetes

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the most common types, but there are many other, rarer types of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and usually goes away after birth². This affects around two to five percent of pregnant women and occurs as hormonal changes increase demands for insulin production⁴.

Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) sits between type 1 and type 2 and is sometimes called type 1.5 diabetes.

People with LADA can be misdiagnosed as type 2, as the destruction of the beta cells occurs much slower than with type 1 diabetes⁴.

This means that some people can manage their symptoms with diet, exercise and tablets at first, but most people will eventually treat LADA with insulin.

Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a rare form of diabetes that occurs due to a single gene mutation.

What should I do if I’m worried I might have diabetes?

Diabetes symptoms can develop very quickly, while the symptoms of type 2 diabetes are often less obvious and can go unnoticed.
Book an appointment with your healthcare provider if you are experiencing the following main symptoms of diabetes⁷:
• feeling very thirsty
• peeing more frequently than usual, particularly at night
• feeling very tired
• weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
• itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
• blurred vision

Continue reading:

Are you thinking about using an insulin pump to manage your type 1 diabetes? There’s a lot to consider, and terms like ‘patch pump’ and ‘closed-loop’ might be new to you. Let’s find out what an insulin pump is, and how insulin pump therapy works!

What is an Insulin Pump?

Jessica Sparks Lilley is a pediatric endocrinologist and the senior manager of field medical affairs at Insulet Corporation. She was drawn to her career field by beloved family members who were diagnosed in early childhood with T1DM. She trained at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her passion for her home state drew her to practice in rural Mississippi for 13 years, first building an academic satellite clinic then a new multispecialty clinic with far-flung outreach, each from the ground up. She had a regular column in Medscape, “It’s a Small World,” on a variety of topics in pediatric endocrinology. Her research focused on diabetes numeracy and inherited lipid disorders. She has actively supported Breakthrough T1D and the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. She is passionate about expanding access of diabetes technology to people living with diabetes and joined Insulet in 2024 after seeing the transformative impact of automated insulin delivery in her patients and loved ones.

References and Disclaimers

^{1 https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics}
^{2 https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/tests/blood-sugar}
^{3 https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetes/type-1}
^{4 https://jdrf.org.uk/information-support/about-type-1-diabetes/what-is-the-difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes/}
^{5 https://jdrf.org.uk/information-support/about-type-1-diabetes/}
^{6 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms/}
^{7 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetes/}
^{8 https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetes/type-2/causes}
^{9 https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetes/type-2/treatments}

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