Having diabetes is dangerous. A person must completely change his way of living. If no changes are made, diabetes can lead to many serious and harmful health problems, such as blindness, kidney disease, amputations, heart disease and stroke. The key to diabetes is understanding: a person must learn about the disease to choose a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide. Nearly 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes (Mathur). Worldwide, approximately 18.8 billion people of all races, children and adults of all ages, are diagnosed with this disease (Mathur). Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Glucose is an important source of energy for the cells that make up the body's muscle tissues. It is the main source of fuel for the brain (Christian). There are three main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce any insulin. Type 2 occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin or when insulin doesn't work properly. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy (Christian). If a person has diabetes of any type, it means there is too much glucose in the blood, which could lead to serious health problems (Christian). Insulin is a natural hormone made by the pancreas which is located behind the stomach and which controls the level of glucose sugar in the blood. It is important for the body to have insulin because it allows cells to use glucose for energy. Without insulin, cells cannot use glucose (Definition of insulin). Insulin is produced by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans. Langerhans...... middle of paper ......day.com/info/diabetes/. Np, and Web. February 7, 2012. “Definition of insulin.” http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3989. Np, April 27, 2011. Web. February 7, 2012. “Diabetes.” New York Times,” New York Times Company, August 31, 2011. Web, December 7, 2011. “Diabetes” - PubMed Health, December 14, 2011. “Gestational Diabetes.” http://www.babycenter.com/0_gestational-diabetes_2058.bc. Np, July 2010. Web. February 7, 2012. .Mathur, Ruchi. “Diabetes mellitus”. http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/article.htm. NP, 1996-2012. Internet. February 6, 2012.WebMD. "Diabetes." http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/type-2-diabetes. Np, February 7, 2012. Web. February 7 2012.