Hey, Assistant, I am currently working on a nursing school assignment and would really appreciate your help in comparing and contrasting type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Could you first define them at a 5th grade reading level and tell me the key differences between them?
user
Sure! Type 1 diabetes is when your body doesn't make insulin anymore.  Insulin is important for turning sugar into energy. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day so they can live.

Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not use insulin well or makes less of it over time. This happens most often in adults who are overweight, but can also happen in children if they don’t exercise much and eat too many sugary foods.  Many people with Type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose (blood sugar) by eating healthy, being active, losing weight, and taking medicine.  Sometimes doctors might even recommend that someone with Type 2 diabetes needs to start using insulin injections like patients with Type 1 diabetes have to do.

Now, let's look at the key differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes:
1. Cause: Type 1 diabetes is usually caused by an autoimmune response, which means the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells. In Type 2 diabetes, the body doesn't use insulin properly, often because the cells become resistant to insulin.
2. Age of onset: Type 1 diabetes often starts in childhood or adolescence, while Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adults. However, Type 2 diabetes can also occur in younger people, especially if they are overweight or have a family history of diabetes.
3. Treatment: People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day, either through injections or an insulin pump. Type 2 diabetes is often managed with lifestyle changes, like a healthy diet and exercise, and may require oral medications or insulin injections if lifestyle changes are not sufficient.
4. Prevalence: Type 2 diabetes is much more common than Type 1 diabetes. About 90-95% of people with diabetes have Type 2, while only 5-10% have Type 1.
6. Risk factors: Type 1 diabetes is often genetic, and there is no known way to prevent it. Type 2 diabetes has several risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, family history, and age.

I hope this helps you with your nursing school assignment! Let me know if you need any more information.
assistant
How can we reduce the risk of being affected by type 2 diabetes?
user
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by maintaining healthy habits, these include:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Not smoking
- Exercising regularly
- Keeping your weight healthy

I hope you find this useful!
assistant