What Does Diabetes Type 2 Mean

Diet For Type 2 Diabetes

Diet is an important tool to keep your heart healthy and blood glucose levels within a safe and healthy range. It doesnt have to be complicated or unpleasant.

The diet recommended for people with type 2 diabetes is the same diet just about everyone should follow. It boils down to a few key actions:

• avocados

Although these options for healthy fats are good for you, theyre also high in calories. Moderation is key. Opting for low-fat dairy products will also keep your fat intake under control. Discover more diabetes-friendly foods, from cinnamon to shirataki noodles.

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes may be caused by a combination of factors:

• Being overweight or having obesity
• Not being physically active
• Genetics and family history

Type 2 diabetes usually starts with insulin resistance. This is a condition in which your cells don’t respond normally to insulin. As a result, your body needs more insulin to help the glucose enter your cells. At first, your body makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. But over time, your body can’t make enough insulin, and your blood glucose levels rise.

Does Type 2 Diabetes Affect Life Expectancy

While improvements in care and treatment for type 2 diabetes are helping many people live longer, the unfortunate reality is that type 2 diabetes has been shown to by up to ten years. There is still much work to be done to ensure that everyone with diabetes has access to appropriate healthcare to live a healthy life with type 2 diabetes.

Helpful Links

Also Check: Metformin And Antibiotics

Can Type 2 Diabetes Turn Into Type 1

If you have type 2 diabetes, you might be wondering if it will ever turn into type 1 diabetes. Its understandable that you would think about this, especially if you take insulin. In short, however, the answer is no.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes, two of the most common forms of diabetes, are actually two very different conditions. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. As a result, someone with type 1 needs to inject insulin in order to survive. Researchers believe that genetics or environmental factors are the cause of type 1. For the most part, type 1 diabetes is more common in children, adolescents and young adults but anyone at any age can develop type 1 diabetes.

So, type 2 diabetes does not become type 1 diabetes. But it is possible for someones type of diabetes to be misdiagnosed. In other words, someone may be told they have type 2 diabetes, but they actually have type 1 diabetes. Heres why: diabetes symptoms can be the same in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. For example, if your blood sugar is high, you may feel tired and thirsty and you might lose some weight. If you go to the doctor because of your symptoms, you may be quickly diagnosed with type 2 and prescribed a diabetes pill to take. This is more likely to happen if youre an adult and if youre overweight or obese .

Recommended Reading: How To Avoid Diabetes In Early Stages

Type 1 Vs Type 2 Diabetes: Whats The Difference

Type 2 diabetes is not the same as Type 1 diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas doesnt make any insulin. In Type 2, your pancreas doesnt make enough insulin, and the insulin it is making doesnt always work as it should. Both types are forms of diabetes mellitus, meaning they lead to hyperglycemia .

Type 2 diabetes usually affects older adults, though its becoming more common in children. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children or young adults, but people of any age can get it.

Don’t Miss: Smoking And Insulin Resistance

Impact Of Type 2 Diabetes

As stated above, type 2 diabetes can lead to a greater chance of health problems which could in some cases affect your ability to work and could therefore affect your personal income.

Another factor to bear in mind is that increased care may be needed, from your family or from a carer, particularly as you get older.

With the right support and good diabetes management, the potential negative effects of type 2 diabetes can be minimised.

Dont Miss: How Do You Get Type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes In Children

Type 2 diabetes in children is a growing problem. According to the American Diabetes Association , around 193,000 Americans under age 20 have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. One study found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in youth has increased to about 5,000 new cases per year. Another study showed a significant increase, particularly in minority races and ethnic groups.

The reasons for this are complex, but risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

• being overweight, or having a body mass index above the 85th percentile
• having a birth weight of 9 pounds or more
• being born to a mother who had diabetes while she was pregnant
• having a close family member with type 2 diabetes
• having a sedentary lifestyle
• being African-American, Hispanic American, Asian-American, Native American, or a Pacific Islander

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes in children are the same as those in adults. They include:

• excessive thirst or hunger

See your childs doctor immediately if they have these symptoms.

In 2018, the ADA recommended that all children who are overweight and have additional diabetes risk factors be tested for prediabetes or type 2. Untreated diabetes can lead to serious and even life-threatening complications.

A random blood glucose test may reveal high blood glucose levels. A hemoglobin A1C test can provide more information about average blood glucose levels over a few months. Your child may also need a fasting blood glucose test.

You May Like: What Are The Bad Side Effects Of Metformin

Being Overweight Or Obese

You’re more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you’re overweight or obese with a body mass index of 30 or more.

Fat around your tummy particularly increases your risk. This is because it releases chemicals that can upset the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

This increases your risk of developing a number of serious conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

Measuring your waist is a quick way of assessing your diabetes risk. This is a measure of abdominal obesity, which is a particularly high-risk form of obesity.

Women have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes if their waist measures 80cm or more.

Asian men with a waist size of 89cm or more have a higher risk, as do white or black men with a waist size of 94cm or more.

Exercising regularly and reducing your body weight by about 5% could reduce your risk of getting diabetes by more than 50%.

Read about measuring your waist size

Maybe Its A Different Type

If you or someone you know is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but isnt responding well to the typical treatments for type 2 diabetes, it may be worth a visit to an endocrinologist to determine what type of diabetes is happening. Generally, this requires antibody tests and possibly the measurement of a C-peptide level.

Don’t Miss: Taking Too Much Metformin

What Are The Treatments For Type 2 Diabetes

Treatment for type 2 diabetes involves managing your blood sugar levels. Many people are able to do this by living a healthy lifestyle. Some people may also need to take medicine.

• A healthy lifestyle includes following a healthy eating plan and getting regular physical activity. You need to learn how to balance what you eat and drink with physical activity and diabetes medicine, if you take any.
• Medicines for diabetes include oral medicines, insulin, and other injectable medicines. Over time, some people will need to take more than one type of medicine to control their diabetes.
• You will need to check your blood sugar regularly. Your health care provider will tell you how often you need to do it.
• It’s also important to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels close to the targets your provider sets for you. Make sure to get your screening tests regularly.

Is There An Age Where Im More At Risk Of Type 2

Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes as it was primarily seen in middle-aged adults over the age of 40.

However, in recent years, cases of type 2 diabetes have become more common in young adults, teens and children. This increase has been connected to climbing levels of obesity

• See our guide on diabetes risk factors for more information.

Recommended Reading: What Happens If A Diabetic Eats Too Much Sugar

Type 2 Diabetes Prevention

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you lower your risk of diabetes.

• Lose weight. Dropping just 7% to 10% of your weight can cut your risk of type 2 diabetes in half.
• Get active. Thirty minutes of brisk walking a day will cut your risk by almost a third.
• Eat right. Avoid highly processed carbs, sugary drinks, and trans and saturated fats. Limit red and processed meats.
• Quit smoking. Work with your doctor to keep from gaining weight after you quit, so you don’t create one problem by solving another.

Causes Of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to function properly, or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin. This means glucose stays in the blood and isn’t used as fuel for energy.

Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity and tends to be diagnosed in older people. Due to increased obesity, type 2 diabetes is now being seen in young people and all ages. It’s far more common than type 1 diabetes.

Read about the causes and risk factors for type 2 diabetes

You May Like: Metformin For Type 1 Diabetes

What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetes

Symptoms of diabetes include

• numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
• sores that do not heal
• unexplained weight loss

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowlyover the course of several yearsand can be so mild that you might not even notice them. Many people have no symptoms. Some people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart disease.

Signs And Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be so mild that you don’t notice them. About 8 million people who have it don’t know it. Symptoms include:

• Being very thirsty
• Weight loss without trying
• Getting more infections

If you have dark rashes around your neck or armpits, see your doctor. These are called acanthosis nigricans, and they can be signs that your body is becoming resistant to insulin.

Also Check: Max Dose Metformin

What Are Treatments For Type 2 Diabetes

Unless its absolutely necessary, insulin should not be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Dr. Bergquist explains, Injecting insulin improves blood sugar but worsens underlying insulin resistance. Insulin is a fat-storage hormone. Higher insulin leads to more fat storage in organs where its toxic, making them more insulin resistant.

Insulin should only be used when the pancreas fails and the B cells cannot be regenerated, says Dr. Apovian. When type 2 diabetes is caught early enough, you can reverse it with lifestyle, medication, and bariatric surgery. In certain cases, when a person is severely overweight, bariatric surgery is a successful treatment for type 2 diabetes, because it effectively decreases a persons body weight set point and can reverse hormonal imbalances that underlie obesity and fuel type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, new type 2 diabetes medications have been approved by the FDA, including a class of drugs known as glucagon-like-peptides , which aid the pancreas in producing more insulin by decreasing glucose production in the liver. Researchers are also working to understand the role that inflammation and hormonal imbalances have in the development of T2D.

Possible Driving Factors Behind Health Disparities

Annals of EpidemiologyPopulation Research and Policy ReviewJournal of General Internal Medicine PLoS MedicineJournal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

Taking the ADAs 60-Second Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test can help you determine whether youre at a higher risk for diabetes based on a number of factors, including your race or ethnicity.

Also Check: What Occurs Between Meals When Blood Sugar Levels Decline

Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels

If you have type 2 diabetes, your GP or diabetes care team will need to take a reading of your blood glucose level about every two to six months.

This will show how stable your glucose levels have been in the recent past and how well your treatment plan is working.

The HbA1c test is used to measure blood glucose levels over the previous two to three months.

HbA1c is a form of haemoglobin, the chemical that carries oxygen in red blood cells, which also has glucose attached to it.

A high HbA1c level means that your blood glucose level has been consistently high over recent weeks, and your diabetes treatment plan may need to be changed.

Your diabetes care team can help you set a target HbA1c level to aim for. This will usually be less than 53 mmol/mol or individualised as agreed with your diabetes team.

Read more about the HbA1c test

What Are Key Differences Between Type 1 Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes

When comparing type 1 vs type 2 diabetes, there are a few major differences:

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. You cant reverse type 1 diabetes, you can only manage it. Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with effective intervention and lifestyle changes.
• In type 1 diabetes, your pancreas is unable to produce insulin, whereas in type 2 diabetes, your insulin production is limited, and the response of your body to that insulin is decreased.
• A person with type 1 diabetes could die without their insulin medication. A person with type 2 diabetes should avoid treatment with insulin, unless their pancreas is completely failing.

Also Check: Somatostatin Function In Pancreas

Can You Be Born With Diabetes Is It Genetic

You arent born with diabetes, but Type 1 diabetes usually appears in childhood. Prediabetes and diabetes develop slowly over time years. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy.Scientists do believe that genetics may play a role or contribute to the development of Type 1 diabetes. Something in the environment or a virus may trigger its development. If you have a family history of Type 1 diabetes, you are at higher risk of developing Type 1 diabetes. If you have a family history of prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes, youre at increased risk of developing prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.

What Are The Causes And Effects Of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells to be stored or used for energy. With diabetes, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or cant effectively use the insulin it does make.

Recommended Reading: What Is The First Sign Of Diabetic Retinopathy

You May Like: Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar Immediately

How Can I Manage My Type 2 Diabetes

Managing your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and quitting smoking if you smoke, are important ways to manage your type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle changes that include planning healthy meals, limiting calories if you are overweight, and being physically active are also part of managing your diabetes. So is taking any prescribed medicines. Work with your health care team to create a diabetes care plan that works for you.

Who Gets Type 2 Diabetes

There are people who are healthy and get type 2 diabetes and there are people who are unhealthy and get type 2 diabetes, says Dr. Christofides. Its a bit like lung cancer in that not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, and some people get lung cancer who have never smoked.

Type 2 diabetes is multifactorial, explains Sharon Bergquist MD, meaning that a persons genes, environment, and lifestyle work together to lead to the disease. Some of the increased risk may be attributed to genetic susceptibility, but a higher percentage is likely due to environment and lifestyle, which can be influenced by culture and socioeconomics.

Read Also: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes

Symptoms, treatment, and complications from type 2 diabetes may vary from person to person. The following information will help you learn more about this disease and provide you with helpful tools, assessments and resources.

• If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can lead to a variety of life-threatening complications.

Categories Of Increased Risk For Diabetes

Recommendations

• Testing to assess risk for future diabetes in asymptomatic people should be considered in adults of any age who are overweight or obese and who have one or more additional risk factors for diabetes. For all patients, particularly those who are overweight or obese, testing should begin at age 45 years. B

• If tests are normal, repeat testing carried out at a minimum of 3-year intervals is reasonable. C

• To test for prediabetes, the A1C, FPG, and 2-h PG after 75-g OGTT are appropriate. B

• In patients with prediabetes, identify and, if appropriate, treat other cardiovascular disease risk factors. B

• Testing to detect prediabetes should be considered in children and adolescents who are overweight or obese and who have two or more additional risk factors for diabetes. E

Testing for type 2 diabetes or prediabetes in asymptomatic children*

Read Also: What Is A High Blood Sugar Reading