You may wonder which diabetes is more complicated: type 1 or type 2? While we know are both equally harmful to the body, let’s better understand the two main types of diabetes, to help us determine which is more complicated and which is more difficult to manage.
What Is the Major Difference Between the Two Types of Diabetes?
While both of these types of diabetes are a direct influence on the blood sugar level of the body, both of them are not the same. In type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce enough insulin because the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas have been destroyed, therefore, preventing enough sugar from reaching the cells.
On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is mostly associated in adults and involves a condition where the body is unable to adequately use the insulin produced by the body. This is often associated with an increased risk of other health conditions such as obesity.
To answer the question of which is more complicated, we may need to take a look at the following factors:
Which Is More Difficult to Manage?
When it comes to maintenance and management, type 2 diabetes seems to come with a greater challenge which often leads to a worse outcome.
While Diabetic Ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia, which are both associated with type 1, can be deadly and unrelenting in management, people with type 2 diabetes tend to suffer greater levels of hypertension, obesity, depression, hyperlipidemia, and various types of inflammation than then people with type 1 do.
As a matter of fact, new evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes is an inflammatory disease rather than just insulin resistance syndrome, which is what it has been traditionally known to be.
Which of Them Has Higher Mortality Rate?
When it comes to mortality rates, there is no greater killer than the type 2 diabetes. According to the World Health Organization’s Diabetes fact sheet, over 3,060,000 people pass away annually by type 2 diabetes worldwide, compared to 340, 000 with type 1, every year.
Of course, those with type 1 occupy a smaller population in the world. However, when we talk about which is more complicated, of course, we have to talk more than just the number of fatalities. We may also need to look into lifespans. No doubt, type 1s have much shorter lifespan compared to the type 2s.
What Is the Life Expectancy in Both?
According to a research by Diabetes UK, people living with type 2 diabetes tend to expect a decade reduction in life expectancy over “sugar normal,” and type 1s “traditionally” had a 20-year reduction in lifespan. The research showed that while the lifespan gap is closing in for type 1s, it is yet stable with people living with type 2 diabetes.
Bottom Line
Based on this evidence, it is pretty clear that high blood sugar is dangerous regardless of how you get it. Type 2 diabetes, which happens more in adults, seems to be more complicated as it generates more complications compared to type 1 and also shortens lifespan more than type 1.
However, the real bottom line remains that both types of diabetes are a challenge to manage. Either of them can have a large impact on your emotional, financial, and psychological life so make sure you get all help you can to ensure you effectively manage it.
Sources
- Charles Patrick. (2016, August 02). Type 1 Diabetes: What Are The Symptoms. Medicine Net. Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/type_1_diabetes_pictures_slideshow/article.htm
- Mayo Clinic. (2015, August 21). Diabetic ketoacidosis. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371551
- Belkina, A. C., Nikolajczyk, B. S., Denis, G. V. (2013). BET Protein Function Is Required for Inflammation: Brd2 Genetic Disruption and BET Inhibitor JQ1 Impair Mouse Macrophage Inflammatory Responses. The Journal of Immunology, 2013; retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123302.htm
- diabetes UK. (2010, March). Diabetes in the UK 2010: Key statistics on diabetes. Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2017-11/diabetes_in_the_uk_2010.pdf