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What is diabetes? It's not an illness you can catch like a cold or cure like an infection. It's a condition in which your body can't maintain the right level of blood sugar, or glucose -- the source of energy that powers muscles, organs and other body systems. There are three types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin. This illness is believed to be a type of autoimmune disease. A person with this type of diabetes has certain genes that make it likely to develop this illness. The disease may be triggered by certain viral infections or other environmental factors. Insulin is a hormone that allows energy in the form of glucose to enter the cells of the body. Type 1 diabetes is most likely found in children and adolescents. About 5 to 10 percent of all people with diabetes have this type, according to 2007 statistics from the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body makes too little insulin or is unable to properly use the insulin it produces. This is called insulin resistance and is more common in adults. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have this type.

Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnancy and usually goes away after a woman gives birth. About 4 percent of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent risk for developing type 2 diabetes 5 to 10 years after a pregnancy.

Pre-diabetes is a condition that often precedes the development of type 2 diabetes. It occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal (this is called abnormal glucose tolerance), but not high enough to be called type 2 diabetes, the ADA says. Pre-diabetes is often associated with being overweight or obese, higher than normal levels of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides and high blood pressure (hypertension). About 57 million Americans have pre-diabetes, and nearly 24 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, according to 2007 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If people with pre-diabetes make changes in their weight, eating habits and exercise, they may be able to avoid developing type 2 diabetes.

Can it be treated?

Yes. The main goal of diabetes treatment for both type 1 and type 2 is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as safely possible, the ADA says. Treatment usually involves changes in diet, weight loss (if needed) and regular exercise. Medication such as insulin shots, inhaled insulin, injected medicines that improve the release or use of insulin, or oral medication also may be necessary. A person with diabetes needs to get regular screening tests for possible complications.