Which statement best differentiates Type 2 diabetes from Type 1?

Which statement best differentiates Type 2 diabetes from Type 1?

• A. Type 2 is autoimmune destruction of beta cells.
• B. Type 2 produces some insulin but with insulin resistance; Type 1 produces little to no insulin.
• C. Type 2 always requires insulin at diagnosis.
• D. Type 2 never occurs in adults.

Answer: (B)

Understanding how insulin production and action differ between the two types is the key idea. In Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune attack destroys the beta cells, so there is little to no insulin produced by the pancreas. In Type 2 diabetes, the body still makes insulin, but tissues are resistant to its effects, so blood glucose rises despite circulating insulin; the pancreas often tries to compensate by producing more insulin early on, though beta-cell function can decline over time. This combination—some endogenous insulin with insulin resistance—best differentiates Type 2 from Type 1. Other statements don’t fit: autoimmune destruction is the hallmark of Type 1, not Type 2; Type 2 does not always require insulin at diagnosis, and Type 2 commonly occurs in adults.

Understanding how insulin production and action differ between the two types is the key idea. In Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune attack destroys the beta cells, so there is little to no insulin produced by the pancreas. In Type 2 diabetes, the body still makes insulin, but tissues are resistant to its effects, so blood glucose rises despite circulating insulin; the pancreas often tries to compensate by producing more insulin early on, though beta-cell function can decline over time. This combination—some endogenous insulin with insulin resistance—best differentiates Type 2 from Type 1.

Other statements don’t fit: autoimmune destruction is the hallmark of Type 1, not Type 2; Type 2 does not always require insulin at diagnosis, and Type 2 commonly occurs in adults.