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Verywell Health

Insulin vs. Glucagon: What Are the Differences?

Verywell Health
Summary
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65% Informative

Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone in your body crucial for maintaining normal blood sugar levels.

Glucagon acts on your liver to stimulate sugar production and break down stored sugar.

In healthy people, the pancreas releases insulin in response to food ingestion, and the cells are sensitive to its effects.

People with diabetes who take insulin are at an increased risk of low blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by not producing enough insulin and cells not reacting to insulin.

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar levels during pregnancy and is a major risk factor for T2DM post-pregnancy.

Prediabetes is a condition in which you have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level but not quite high enough to indicate diabetes.