Q. What is the difference between type II diabetes mellitus and type I diabetes mellitus?
Type I diabetes also known as insulin-dependent diabetes (as this name is not adequate as type II diabetes may become insulin- dependent) or juvenile diabetes, is the impaired production of insulin by the pancreas believed to be caused by destruction of cells of the islets of Langerhans by autoantibodies (autoimmunity).
In type II diabetes there is low or normal secretion of insulin by the pancreas but the key cause of the high glycemia is the peripheral resistance of the cells to the action of the hormone and Type II diabetes occurs in the adult individual and it is often diagnosed in people of more advanced age.