What is Type 2 Diabetes?

 

  • Diabetes Mellitus (diabetes) is a metabolic disorder indicated by high levels of glucose in the bloodstream known as hyperglycemia shown above. 
  • There are several types of diabetes. The most common are Prediabetes, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes.
  • The most common type of diabetes (90% of all cases) is type 2 diabetes. 
  • Type 2 diabetes is also referred to as adult-onset diabetes. It usually occurs during the later stages of life. 
  • Type 2 diabetes occurs when one of two things happen
    • One, insulin resistance in the cells in liver, muscle, and fat resulting in their inability to take up enough sugar.
    • Two, the pancreas is unable to secrete enough insulin in order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
  • Since hyperglycemia develops gradually over the years, type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for a long time resulting in long-term effects when a diagnosis is finally given.

 

Symptoms 

 

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include 

  • Fatigue 
  • Increased Thirst 
  • Frequent urination 
  • Increase in hunger 
  • Unintended gain in weight 
  • Blurry vision
  • Slow healing cuts or sores
  • Frequent infections 
  • Feeling numb or tingling in the in hands or feet 
  • Darkened skin on areas of the body such as the neck or armpits called Acanthosis nigricans (Image 2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

References 

  1. 2024. Istockphotocom. [accessed 2024 Nov 17]. https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/acanthosis-nigricans.
  2. Goyal R, Jialal I, Singhal M. 2023 Jun 23. Type 2 Diabetes. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513253/. 
  3. Hyperglycemia: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Complication» How To Relief. 2017 Nov 19. How To Relief. https://www.howtorelief.com/hyperglycemia-causes-symptoms-treatment-complication/.
  4. Mayo Clinic. 2023 Mar 14. Type 2 diabetes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193. 
  5. Tamarai K, Bhatti JS, Reddy PH. 2019. Molecular and cellular bases of diabetes: Focus on type 2 diabetes mouse model-TallyHo. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease. 1865(9):2276–2284. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.05.004.

 

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