ACE Personal Trainer Practice Exam

What form of diabetes results from the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells?

1. Type 1 Diabetes

2. Type 2 Diabetes

3. Gestational Diabetes

4. Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young

The correct answer is: Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is characterized by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. In individuals with this condition, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks these cells, leading to little to no insulin production. Insulin is critical for regulating blood glucose levels, and its absence results in high blood sugar levels. This form of diabetes typically manifests in childhood or young adulthood, though it can occur at any age. Type 2 Diabetes, on the other hand, generally involves insulin resistance and later may include a relative insulin deficiency due to the gradual loss of beta cell function, but it does not primarily result from the destruction of beta cells. Gestational Diabetes occurs during pregnancy and is associated with hormonal changes that affect insulin sensitivity, rather than the destruction of beta cells. Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young is a genetic form of diabetes caused by mutations that affect insulin production but does not involve the autoimmune destruction seen in Type 1 Diabetes.