Ask the Diabetes Educator Archive

Q:

Can a person with type 2 diabetes eventually become a type 1 diabetic?

A:

There can be a point where an "insulin requiring" person becomes an "insulin dependent" person, meaning that the beta cells of the pancreas are no longer capable of producing insulin. If one with diabetes lives long enough, this could certainly happen. Taking charge of one's life-style so that more stable blood sugars occur on a daily basis are key to prolonging the "burnout" of those cells for as long as possible.