or type 2 diabetes?
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between type 1 and type 2 diabetes? Have you asked which is more dangerous, type 1 or type 2 diabetes? The answer is in this article.
Diabetes is defined as a metabolic disease represented by high levels of sugar in the blood. Diabetes may occur due to a lack of insulin secretion from the body, as in type 1 diabetes, or due to the body’s resistance to insulin, which leads to a lack of response to insulin, as in type 2 diabetes.
Which is more dangerous, type 1 or type 2 diabetes? The answer is as follows
Which is more dangerous, type 1 or type 2 diabetes?
Before answering the question: Which is more dangerous, type 1 or type 2 diabetes? We must know the basic differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that leads to a lack of the body’s secretion of insulin. Therefore, patients with type 1 diabetes depend on insulin to treat their disease. In addition, the symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear quickly, and it usually affects young people.
As for type 2 diabetes, it is mainly caused by the body’s resistance to insulin, and it is also closely linked to obesity. In addition to the above, type 2 diabetes is free of symptoms in the early stages. Therefore, the patient is diagnosed late, and type 2 diabetes usually affects elderly patients.
Based on the above, there are a group of important differences between the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and among these differences are the following:
Most deaths in type 1 diabetes occur due to severe complications of the disease, such as diabetic ketoacidosis.
Most deaths in type 2 diabetes occur due to heart disease and kidney disease.
It is noteworthy that the average life expectancy of patients with type 1 diabetes decreased in the past from 10 to 20 years, but with the development of insulin production, treatment of diabetic patients, and their careful follow-up, the average life expectancy of patients with type 1 diabetes has improved.
The life expectancy of people with type 2 diabetes decreases by 10 years.
Type 2 diabetes develops slowly, while type 1 appears faster and at a younger age.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with metabolic syndrome, which includes: high blood pressure, high triglycerides, obesity, and low good cholesterol.
In the end, it is difficult to determine which of the two diseases is more dangerous than the other. It depends on the extent of the patient’s commitment to treatment and the health system to prevent complications of the disease, and one of the two diseases cannot be considered more serious than the other.
Complications of diabetes
The complications of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are very similar, with a slight difference between them. Among the complications they have in common are the following:
Heart and arterial diseases.
Increased risk of bacterial and fungal infections.
Diabetic neuropathy.
Diabetic nephropathy.
Diabetic retinopathy.
Gangrene in the lower extremities.
Complications may differ between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as follows
Patients with type 1 diabetes develop diabetic ketoacidosis at a higher rate than patients with type 2 diabetes.
Patients with type 2 diabetes suffer from hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome at a higher rate than patients with type 1 diabetes.
How can the dangers and complications of diabetes be avoided?
After we have answered the question of which is more dangerous, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, we will discuss how to avoid this risk through treatment as follows:
1. Treatment of type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes can be treated as follows
Follow a healthy diet that is proportional to the dose of insulin that the patient receives.
Playing sports.
Replace the body with insulin.
2. Treating type 2 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes can be treated as follows
Follow a healthy diet that is low in sugar and fat and rich in fiber and vegetables.
Playing sports.
Regulating blood sugar levels through oral hypoglycemic medications, such as metformin.
Insulin can be given in advanced cases.
Treating high blood pressure and high lipids.
