A Health Issue Brief that discusses Diabetes: [it] is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin, which is a natural hormone that regulates the level of sugar (glucose) in the body. When an individual’s pancreas does not produce insulin, it is referred to as type 1 diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin but does not use it correctly. It is estimated that diabetes costs the United States $327 billion annually in medical costs and lost wages.1