Could You Have Type 1 Diabetes And Not Know It?

Diabetes is a group of chronic disorders characterized by high levels of blood sugar (glucose) resulting from problems in how a natural hormone called insulin is produced, how insulin works, or both. Most patients are diagnosed with one of two types —  type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, also previously known as juvenile-onset diabetes, is usually diagnosed during your mid-teens. Type 2 diabetes, also previously called adult-onset diabetes, is usually diagnosed later in life. However, both types can occur at any age, and we are seeing more people being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in adulthood and more people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a younger age. Of the two types, type 2 diabetes is much more common, accounting for up to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

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According to the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), during 2008–2009, nearly 18,500 people below age 20 years were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, while around 5,000 people in the same age bracket were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually.