YMMV

Here's a study confirming what most of us already know: YMMV, or Your Mileage May Vary. Some people prefer YDMV, or Your Diabetes May Vary.

Different people may have different reasons for getting diabetes. Some may have a lot of insulin resistance. Others may be pretty insulin sensitive but they just don't produce enough insulin. They do produce some, so unlike people with type 1, they can often get along without added insulin. And others may have a combination of these deficits.

In this study,  two groups were studied: Pima Indians from the Southwestern United States and Asian Indians from Chennai, India. They found that the Pima Indians tended to have a lot of insulin resistance (three times as much as the Asian Indians), but the Asian Indians, who were also older and thinner, tended to have defects in insulin secretion (three times less).

Unfortunately, when you're diagnosed, it's not common to have a lot of tests to find out exactly what is causing your diabetes. Most doctors tell you it doesn't matter, because they'd treat the disease the same way regardless of the cause. And a bunch of extra tests would be expensive.

However, if you come from an ethnic group that tends to have insulin resistance, that would probably be your major problem and you should focus on things like exercise and weight loss that can reduce insulin resistance. If you come from a group that tends to secrete too little insulin, it would make sense to focus on eating foods that don't require a lot of insulin, in other words, trying a low-carb diet.

Of course, many of us in the United States have a mixed heritage, so such studies would be less useful. Nevertheless, they might give hints about what kind of treatment to focus on.