WebMD Diabetes Center: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Tests, and Treatments

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Diabetes Overview Diabetes is a number of diseases that involve problems with the hormone insulin. Normally, the pancreas (an organ behind the stomach) releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. Diabetes can occur when the pancreas produces very little or no insulin, or when the body does not respond appropriately to insulin. As yet, there is no cure. People with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy. Diabetes Guide Overview & Types Symptoms & Diagnosis Treatments & Care Living & Managing Related Conditions Diabetes News latest headlines Top Stories Are Doctors Discarding Donor Kidneys That Could Save Lives? FDA: Don't Use Secondhand Test Strips Broccoli Extract Shows Promise for Type 2 Diabetes Lose Weight to Lower Your Diabetes Risk Dieting With Diabetes: 9 Dos and Don'ts More Articles Living With Diabetes Your Guide to Eating Healthy Carbs Do I Need to Change My Diabetes Meds? How to Use the Glycemic Index Diabetes-Friendly Drinks and Cocktails Tips for Controlling Your Blood Sugar Related WebMD Community Second Opinion The Language of Diabetes 4 Food Hacks for Diabetes How to Build a Better Breakfast for Diabetes Can I Diet With Diabetes? Message Boards Diabetes Message Board Kidney Disorders Message Board See All Message Boards Top Search Terms for Diabetes Diabetes Symptoms Gestational Diabetes Type 1 Diabetes Hyperglycemia Hypoglycemia Signs of Type 2 Diabetes Ketones Cinnamon and Diabetes Alcohol and Diabetes Diabetic Neuropathy Prediabetes Diabetic Ketoacidosis Type 2 Diabetes: The Basics Diabetes is a life-long disease that affects the way your body handles glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood. Most people with the condition have type 2. There are about 27 million people in the U.S. with it. Another 86 million have prediabetes: Their blood glucose is not normal, but not high enough to be diabetes yet. Read Article Today on WebMD See how one patient learned to manage her weight and diet. Getting Past the Guilt of Type 2 Are your 'good' habits doing harm? Managing Your Diabetes 3 Types of Exercise How they help diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes Are you at risk? Recommended for You Video Small Steps to Manage Your Blood Sugar Slideshow Best Diets for Diabetes Slideshow Best Exercises for Diabetes Video How to Start Exercising With Type 2 Article Prediabetes: 7 Steps to Take Now Slideshow Type 2 Diabetes: What Is It? Article Are Your Meds Causing Blood Sugar Spikes? Slideshow What Your Feet Say About Your Health Tools & ResourcesSurprising Habits to Break for DiabetesIs Your Diabetes Under Control?10-Minute Diabetes TipsDiabetes: How to Count CarbsDiabetes Diet Dos and Don'tsVideo: Type 1 Diabetes Myths WebMD Special Sections Small Steps to Manage Your Blood Sugar Not All Diabetes Shots Are Insulin How Do Non-Insulin Shots for Diabetes Differ? 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