Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommonalitiesType 1LADAType 2Gestational DiabetesMonogenic DiabetesType 3
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Commonalities
Type 1
LADA
Type 2
Gestational Diabetes
Monogenic Diabetes
Type 3
There are five types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), gestational diabetes, and monogenic diabetes. Some experts also regard Alzheimer’s disease as a type of diabetes, calling it type 3.
Some forms of diabetes are genetic in origin, while others are related to lifestyle or other factors. Regardless, the disease requires lifelong management in order to avoid serious, or even life-threatening, complications.
What They Have in Common
Depending on the type of diabetes, either the pancreas does not produce insulin or the body is unable to use it as it should. Either way, without ample insulin or a healthy response to it, the sugar circulating in the blood cannot get into cells.
Early symptoms of diabetes, whatever the type, include fatigue, extreme thirst, andfrequent urination.
If the disease progresses, a number of complications are possible, including vision changes or loss (diabetic retinopathy),diabetic neuropathy(nerve damage), increased risk of heart disease,kidney damage, and more.
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Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops or nearly stops producing insulin. Type 1 diabetes has also been referred to asinsulin-dependent diabetesandjuvenile diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes usually develops during childhood, most often between the ages of 4 and 14.Symptoms tend to develop quickly and may range from subtle to extreme.
Before diagnosis, children may wet the bed, feel very sleepy often, and/or have impaired growth and learning. Some children have seizures or loss of consciousness due to an extreme rise in blood sugar.
Management approaches may also include regular exercise and eating a balanced diet rich in whole grains, lean meat, nuts, beans, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
An Overview of Type 1 Diabetes
Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA)
Like type 1 diabetes, LADA is an autoimmune disease. Also known astype 1.5 diabetes, LADA most often sets in around age 30.For that reason, it is sometimes initially misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes. One telltale difference between the two is that LADA is not associated with weight gain.
With LADA, the body attacks the beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin, severely limiting the body’s insulin production over time. This may happen quickly or be drawn out over a longer period of time.
Treatment for LADA involves supporting the body’s existing insulin production for as long as it lasts, then transitioning to regular insulin, other medications (if necessary), and a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
What Is Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA)?
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to make effective use of insulin. This is often referred to asinsulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes has also been callednon-insulin dependent diabetes.
Some people may experience fatigue or increased urination as initialsymptoms, but many people who have type 2 diabetes do not have any symptoms at all in the early stages. Later, complications such as vascular disease, heart attack, and stroke may develop if the disease is not under control.
Often, weight and diet management can reverse prediabetes or metabolic syndrome so that type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
Type 2 Diabetes Overview
If you develop high fasting blood sugar during pregnancy, but have not been diagnosed with diabetes previously, you may havegestational diabetes.
During pregnancy, placental hormones cause glucose levels to increase. If the pancreas can’t keep up with that production, you may end up with consistently elevated blood sugar. Gestational diabetes may develop if you are genetically susceptible, if you are overweight, or simply because sometimes insulin resistance may increase during pregnancy.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) advises that women who are planning a pregnancy get screened for diabetes if they have risk factors for the condition. It also recommends testing all women planning a pregnancy for undiagnosed diabetes.
Further, the ADA advises testing pregnant women before 15 weeks gestation if they have risk factors and recommends testing for undiagnosed diabetes at the first prenatal visit, if they have not been screened preconception.
Monogenic diabetes is a lesser known type of diabetes because it’s rare, making up only about 1% to 4% of diabetes cases.
There are two forms of monogenic diabetes:
Both forms may be misdiagnosed as type 1 diabetes, and MODY may be confused with type 2 diabetes.
These conditions can be diagnosed withgenetic testing, which would be ordered if risk factors like a family history of diabetes or early onset are present.An accurate diagnosis is important so that children with monogenic diabetes get the right treatment.
Infants with NDM might need insulin or other medications temporarily or for life. MODY treatments can vary, depending on how severe a person’s diabetes is.
Type 3 Diabetes
Many studies have suggested that having diabetes or prediabetes is a risk factor for the onset of Alzheimer’s disease,a type of progressive dementia affecting more than 6 million Americans age 65 or older.
Research centering on the link specifically between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s has led some experts to callAlzheimer’s disease type 3 diabetes.The connection seems to be that the characteristic amyloid plaques that form on the brain in Alzheimer’s are tied to the effects of insulin resistance that seem to be localized to the brain.
While direct causes are still being studied, there is a strong correlation between long-term blood sugar imbalance and inflammation in the brain, which may severely impact cognitive function.
Thankfully, common medications generally used as a first-line defense for type 2 diabetes also seem to reduce the impact on the brain and may help slow decline and even improve function.
If you have type 2 diabetes, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about this link and any other risk factors you may have for Alzheimer’s disease.
Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes: Different Insulin Effects
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Kandimalla R, Thirumala V, Reddy PH.Is Alzheimer’s disease a Type 3 Diabetes? A critical appraisal.Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 1863(5):1078-1089. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.08.018National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Type 1 diabetes.Laugesen E, Østergaard JA, Leslie RD.Latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult: Current knowledge and uncertainty.Diabet Med. 32(7):843-52. doi:10.1111/dme.12700Martín-Timón I, Sevillano-Collantes C, Segura-Galindo A, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: Have all risk factors the same strength?World J Diabetes. 5(4):444-70. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i4.444Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes and pregnancy.American Diabetes Association.15. Management of diabetes in pregnancy: Standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement 1): S232–S243. doi:10.2337/dc22-S015National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Monogenic diabetes (neonatal diabetes mellitus & MODY).Riddle MC, Philipson LH, Rich SS, et al.Monogenic diabetes: From genetic insights to population-based precision in care. Reflections from a Diabetes Care editors’ expert forum.Diabetes Care43(12):3117-3128. doi:10.2337/dci20-0065Xue M, Xu W, Ou YN, et al.Diabetes mellitus and risks of cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 144 prospective studies.Ageing Res Rev. 2019;55:100944. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2019.100944Alzheimer’s Association.2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Special Report: Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America.Cholerton B, Baker LD, Montine TJ, Craft S.Type 2 Diabetes, Cognition, and Dementia in Older Adults: Toward a Precision Health Approach.Diabetes Spectr. 2016;29(4):210-219. doi:10.2337/ds16-0041Li X, Song D, Leng SX.Link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease: from epidemiology to mechanism and treatment.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:549-560. Published 2015 Mar 10. doi:10.2147/CIA.S74042Additional ReadingChiefari E, Arcidiacono B, Foti D, Brunetti A.Gestational diabetes mellitus: An updated overview.J Endocrinol Invest.40(9):899-909. doi: 10.1007/s40618-016-0607-5Picconi F, Mataluni G, Ziccardi L.Association between early neuroretinal dysfunction and peripheral motor unit loss in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.J Diabetes Res.2018:9763507. doi: 10.1155/2018/9763507
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Kandimalla R, Thirumala V, Reddy PH.Is Alzheimer’s disease a Type 3 Diabetes? A critical appraisal.Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 1863(5):1078-1089. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.08.018National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Type 1 diabetes.Laugesen E, Østergaard JA, Leslie RD.Latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult: Current knowledge and uncertainty.Diabet Med. 32(7):843-52. doi:10.1111/dme.12700Martín-Timón I, Sevillano-Collantes C, Segura-Galindo A, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: Have all risk factors the same strength?World J Diabetes. 5(4):444-70. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i4.444Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes and pregnancy.American Diabetes Association.15. Management of diabetes in pregnancy: Standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement 1): S232–S243. doi:10.2337/dc22-S015National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Monogenic diabetes (neonatal diabetes mellitus & MODY).Riddle MC, Philipson LH, Rich SS, et al.Monogenic diabetes: From genetic insights to population-based precision in care. Reflections from a Diabetes Care editors’ expert forum.Diabetes Care43(12):3117-3128. doi:10.2337/dci20-0065Xue M, Xu W, Ou YN, et al.Diabetes mellitus and risks of cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 144 prospective studies.Ageing Res Rev. 2019;55:100944. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2019.100944Alzheimer’s Association.2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Special Report: Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America.Cholerton B, Baker LD, Montine TJ, Craft S.Type 2 Diabetes, Cognition, and Dementia in Older Adults: Toward a Precision Health Approach.Diabetes Spectr. 2016;29(4):210-219. doi:10.2337/ds16-0041Li X, Song D, Leng SX.Link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease: from epidemiology to mechanism and treatment.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:549-560. Published 2015 Mar 10. doi:10.2147/CIA.S74042Additional ReadingChiefari E, Arcidiacono B, Foti D, Brunetti A.Gestational diabetes mellitus: An updated overview.J Endocrinol Invest.40(9):899-909. doi: 10.1007/s40618-016-0607-5Picconi F, Mataluni G, Ziccardi L.Association between early neuroretinal dysfunction and peripheral motor unit loss in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.J Diabetes Res.2018:9763507. doi: 10.1155/2018/9763507
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Kandimalla R, Thirumala V, Reddy PH.Is Alzheimer’s disease a Type 3 Diabetes? A critical appraisal.Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 1863(5):1078-1089. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.08.018National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Type 1 diabetes.Laugesen E, Østergaard JA, Leslie RD.Latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult: Current knowledge and uncertainty.Diabet Med. 32(7):843-52. doi:10.1111/dme.12700Martín-Timón I, Sevillano-Collantes C, Segura-Galindo A, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: Have all risk factors the same strength?World J Diabetes. 5(4):444-70. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i4.444Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes and pregnancy.American Diabetes Association.15. Management of diabetes in pregnancy: Standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement 1): S232–S243. doi:10.2337/dc22-S015National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Monogenic diabetes (neonatal diabetes mellitus & MODY).Riddle MC, Philipson LH, Rich SS, et al.Monogenic diabetes: From genetic insights to population-based precision in care. Reflections from a Diabetes Care editors’ expert forum.Diabetes Care43(12):3117-3128. doi:10.2337/dci20-0065Xue M, Xu W, Ou YN, et al.Diabetes mellitus and risks of cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 144 prospective studies.Ageing Res Rev. 2019;55:100944. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2019.100944Alzheimer’s Association.2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Special Report: Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America.Cholerton B, Baker LD, Montine TJ, Craft S.Type 2 Diabetes, Cognition, and Dementia in Older Adults: Toward a Precision Health Approach.Diabetes Spectr. 2016;29(4):210-219. doi:10.2337/ds16-0041Li X, Song D, Leng SX.Link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease: from epidemiology to mechanism and treatment.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:549-560. Published 2015 Mar 10. doi:10.2147/CIA.S74042
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.
Kandimalla R, Thirumala V, Reddy PH.Is Alzheimer’s disease a Type 3 Diabetes? A critical appraisal.Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 1863(5):1078-1089. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.08.018
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Type 1 diabetes.
Laugesen E, Østergaard JA, Leslie RD.Latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult: Current knowledge and uncertainty.Diabet Med. 32(7):843-52. doi:10.1111/dme.12700
Martín-Timón I, Sevillano-Collantes C, Segura-Galindo A, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: Have all risk factors the same strength?World J Diabetes. 5(4):444-70. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i4.444
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes and pregnancy.
American Diabetes Association.15. Management of diabetes in pregnancy: Standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement 1): S232–S243. doi:10.2337/dc22-S015
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Monogenic diabetes (neonatal diabetes mellitus & MODY).
Riddle MC, Philipson LH, Rich SS, et al.Monogenic diabetes: From genetic insights to population-based precision in care. Reflections from a Diabetes Care editors’ expert forum.Diabetes Care43(12):3117-3128. doi:10.2337/dci20-0065
Xue M, Xu W, Ou YN, et al.Diabetes mellitus and risks of cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 144 prospective studies.Ageing Res Rev. 2019;55:100944. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2019.100944
Alzheimer’s Association.2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Special Report: Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America.
Cholerton B, Baker LD, Montine TJ, Craft S.Type 2 Diabetes, Cognition, and Dementia in Older Adults: Toward a Precision Health Approach.Diabetes Spectr. 2016;29(4):210-219. doi:10.2337/ds16-0041
Li X, Song D, Leng SX.Link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease: from epidemiology to mechanism and treatment.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:549-560. Published 2015 Mar 10. doi:10.2147/CIA.S74042
Chiefari E, Arcidiacono B, Foti D, Brunetti A.Gestational diabetes mellitus: An updated overview.J Endocrinol Invest.40(9):899-909. doi: 10.1007/s40618-016-0607-5Picconi F, Mataluni G, Ziccardi L.Association between early neuroretinal dysfunction and peripheral motor unit loss in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.J Diabetes Res.2018:9763507. doi: 10.1155/2018/9763507
Chiefari E, Arcidiacono B, Foti D, Brunetti A.Gestational diabetes mellitus: An updated overview.J Endocrinol Invest.40(9):899-909. doi: 10.1007/s40618-016-0607-5
Picconi F, Mataluni G, Ziccardi L.Association between early neuroretinal dysfunction and peripheral motor unit loss in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.J Diabetes Res.2018:9763507. doi: 10.1155/2018/9763507
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