Test your knowledge of diabetes with this quiz.

1. Diabetes results from which of these?
A. bacterial infection
B. high cholesterol
C. body chemistry errors
D. too much salt

2. There are two categories of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. How many people with diabetes have type 2?
A. 10 percent to 15 percent
B. 30 percent to 35 percent
C. 45 percent to 50 percent
D. 90 percent to 95 percent

3. A certain gland or organ malfunctions in a person with diabetes. Which gland or organ is it?
A. pituitary gland
B. pancreas
C. adrenal glands
D. kidneys

4. Why is insulin critical in the chemistry of blood sugar?
A. it enables glucose to enter cells
B. it lowers blood pressure
C. it raises cholesterol
D. it stabilizes sucrose levels

5. Early management and control of diabetes will help avoid complications that may arise later. People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing which of these?
A. heart disease
B. cancer
C. neurological damage
D. A and C

6. Why are controlled eating and exercise so important if you have diabetes?
A. they keep depression at bay
B. eating raises blood sugar; exercise lowers it
C. being overweight can be dangerous for people with diabetes
D. B and C

7. Which of these can be one of the first signs of diabetes?
A. nausea
B. headaches
C. recurrent skin infections
D. joint pain

8. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed. What destroys them?
A. the immune system
B. environmental toxins
C. free radicals
D. bacteria

9. A reversible diabetic condition can develop as a side effect of some drugs. Which of these can trigger diabetes?
A. ibuprofen
B. antidepressants
C. thyroid medications
D. oral steroid medications

10. Which ethnic groups are most likely to develop type 2 diabetes?
A. Latinos
B. African Americans
C. Caucasians
D. A and B

The answers
1. C, body chemistry errors. The body fails to convert sugars and starches to glucose, its main energy source.
2. D, 90 percent to 95 percent. Most people with the disease don't know they have it. It most often develops in middle-aged, obese adults, although younger people, even children, can develop it.
3. B, pancreas. It produces insulin.
4. A, it enables glucose to enter cells. Insulin unlocks the cell doorso that a chemical reaction can take place and produce energy.
5. D, A and C. People with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease and neurological damage than people who do not have diabetes.
6. D, B and C. For daily management, eating raises blood sugar, exercising lowers it. Each must be done carefully to balance bloodsugar levels. Over the years, a balance between eating and exercise prevents weight gain and obesity. Excess weight can make it more difficult to manage diabetes.
7. C, recurrent skin infections. Dehydration, common with diabetes, causes dryness and makes the skin prone to infection.
8. A, the immune system. The reason is unknown. Heredity is not necessarily a factor.
9. D, oral steroid medications. Steroid medications like prednisone can trigger diabetes.
10. D, A and B. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents.

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