What are the main types of diabetes mellitus?

The primary types of diabetes mellitus are Type 1 and Type 2, which represent the most prevalent forms of the condition.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that typically arises in childhood or early adulthood, where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, individuals with Type 1 diabetes require lifelong insulin therapy to manage their blood glucose levels, since their bodies are unable to produce sufficient insulin.

On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, where the body does not effectively utilize insulin, often accompanied by a relative insulin deficiency. This form of diabetes is more common and typically develops later in life as a consequence of lifestyle factors such as obesity, poor diet, and lack of physical activity, although it can occur in younger individuals as well.

These two types of diabetes differ markedly in their pathophysiology, treatments, and management approaches, making them critical distinctions for understanding diabetes as a whole. The other types mentioned in the options, like Type 3 and Type 4, do not represent the widely recognized classifications of diabetes. While other forms of diabetes exist (such as gestational diabetes), they are not categorized as main types in the same way as Type