Science & Research

About diabetes

There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. As the illustrations below show, a person without diabetes is able to use insulin to break down glucose which is then used or stored by organs in the body.

In the case of Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce any insulin, thereby leaving the body unable to break down and use or store glucose properly. In Type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or respond effectively to the insulin it does produce. As a result, glucose levels in the blood can increase unchecked, causing permanent changes in the structure and function of the body's organs.

Healthy	Type 1 Diabetes	Type 2 Diabetes

Back to "Dealing with diabetes"

	About Wave Wave is published six times a year by the Winnipeg Health Region in cooperation with the Winnipeg Free Press. It is available at newsstands, hospitals and clinics throughout Winnipeg, as well as McNally Robinson Books. Read the September / October 2012 issue of Wave