Type 1 Diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin—called insulin deficiency. People with this type of diabetes must take insulin injections to live. That's why you sometimes hear it referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes." Up to 1 in 10 people with diabetes have type 1. Although it usually begins when people are young, onset may occur at any age.

Causes of type 1 diabetes

At this time, no one knows the exact cause of type 1 diabetes. It is believed to be related to a problem with the body's defense (immune) system that causes it to destroy the insulin-making cells in the pancreas.