I'm sorry you have diabetes. I know a few diabetics. From what I understand Type 1 is an autoimmune disorder where the cells that make insulin are attacked by the body. Type 2 is mostly caused by life style factors but recently it has been shown to have a genetic component. They are finding people with certain genes like South Asians from India are more likely to be insulin resistant despite not having some of the lifestyle risk factors but the exact reasons are unknown. Common secondary conditions with both types are stroke, heart attack and kidney issues as I'm sure the drs mentioned. Good trick for blood sugar checks my friend uses is to take blood from the side of the finger and not the tip. Much less painful.This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote