Type 2 Diabetes

What Is Type 2 Diabetes:

what is type 2 diabetes

This causes your body to rely on alternative energy sources in your tissues, muscles, and organs. This is a chain reaction that can cause a variety of symptoms. The cause of T2D is complex, but researchers know that genetics play a strong role. Your lifetime risk of developing T2D is 40% if you have one biological parent with T2D and 70% if both of your biological parents have it. Healthy blood sugar (glucose) levels are 70 to 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If you have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, your levels are typically 126 mg/dL or higher.

Without lifestyle changes, a person with pre-diabetes is at high risk of going on to develop type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) accounts for 5% to 10% of DM and is characterized by autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the islets of the pancreas. A combination of genetic susceptivity and environmental factors such as viral infection, toxins, or some dietary factors have been implicated as triggers for autoimmunity. T1DM is most commonly seen in children and adolescents though it can develop at any age. Managing your blood glucose levels can help prevent future health problems, such as damage to your eyes.

Some may help with weight loss or cholesterol, as well as your diabetes. Nearly 1 in 3 have prediabetes, meaning their blood sugar (or blood glucose) is high but not high enough to be diabetes yet. Many people with type 2 diabetes also have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Losing weight if you are overweight or have obesity can improve NAFLD. Diabetes is also linked to other health problems such as sleep apnea, depression, some types of cancer, and dementia. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than half of Hispanic adults in the U.S. are expected to develop Type 2 diabetes.

what is type 2 diabetes

Over time, having consistently high blood glucose can cause health problems, such as heart disease, nerve damage and eye issues. You may be able to control your type 2 diabetes with weight loss, exercise, and healthy eating habits. The goal of treatment is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, but not too low. You can help delay or prevent type 2 diabetes by knowing the risk factors and taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle, such as losing weight or preventing weight gain. Diet is an important tool to help maintain optimal heart health and blood glucose levels that are within a safe range.

However, type 2 diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are age 45 or older, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight or have obesity. Diabetes is more common in people who are African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander. It doesn’t just affect people living with overweight or obesity, although this is one of the risk factors, along with ethnicity.

A hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. The glucose then stays in your blood and not enough goes into your cells. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic (long-term) disease, which means you must manage it for the rest of your life. But you can manage it ‘ with lifestyle changes, medication and blood sugar monitoring ‘ in a way that keeps your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

In later stages of the condition, your body may also not produce enough insulin. Insulin resistance happens when cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond as they should to insulin. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas official statement makes that’s essential for life and regulating blood sugar levels. Untreated diabetes tends to cause worsening symptoms over time as chronically high blood sugar levels cause more damage to your tissues and organs.

Being diagnosed with diabetes is a life-changing event, but it doesn’t mean you can’t live a happy and healthy life. Managing diabetes involves consistent care and diligence. While it’ll likely be very overwhelming at first, over time you’ll get a better grasp on managing the condition and being in tune with your body. you can try these out If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, talk with your doctor about developing a treatment plan that works for your lifestyle. If you don’t produce enough insulin or if your body doesn’t use it efficiently, glucose builds up in your bloodstream. Doctors don’t know exactly what triggers this series of events.

The drug of choice is a statin since these drugs reduce CV events and CV mortality. Consider adding ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors for patients with ASCVD who are not at goal. For all of the sell above tests, if the person is asymptomatic, testing should be repeated later to make a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. In the United States, diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death.

You might find that adding a second drug doesn’t bring your blood sugar under control. Or the combination of two drugs might work only for a short time. If that happens, your doctor might consider a third non-insulin drug, or you may start insulin therapy. Your doctor can test your blood for signs of type 2 diabetes. Usually, they’ll test you on 2 different days to confirm the diagnosis. But if your blood glucose is very high or you have many symptoms, one test may be all you need.

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