Diabetes, or adult-onset diabetes, ranks among the most prevalent medical conditions in America. Between 90 and 95 percent of the 38 million Americans living with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which generally results from an unhealthy diet and similar lifestyle choices. Historically, type 2 diabetes has impacted adults aged 45 or older, but younger adults, teens, and even children have started developing the condition, which is rooted in the pancreas.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes occur when the body struggles to produce insulin, which beta cells in the pancreas generate. A person’s blood sugar levels can escalate to dangerous levels without proper insulin levels. A person born with type 1 diabetes lacks insulin because their immune system malfunctions and attacks the beta cells in the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes, meanwhile, a formerly healthy pancreas loses the ability to produce adequate levels of insulin after eating.

As part of the treatment plan for diabetes, individuals support their pancreas with insulin shots. The majority of Americans living with type 2 diabetes require one insulin shot per day, usually around supper time. They may also take diabetes pills to mollify symptoms further.