Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. When you eat, your body breaks down sugars and starches from food into glucose, a form of sugar that’s a primary source of fuel for your cells. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. In diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make, leading to high levels of glucose in the blood.