Type 2 diabetes, is also called non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. It occurs when the body produces enough insulin but cannot utilize it effectively. This type of diabetes usually develops in middle age. A general observation says that about 90-95 % of people with suffering with diabetes are type 2; about 80 percent are overweight. It is more common among people who are older; obese; have a family history of diabetes; have had gestational diabetes. There are number of risk factors found to be responsible for type 2 diabetes, the more the Etiology and Risk factors carried by an individual the higher the risk for developing the diabetes.
|
|
|
 |
Type 2 diabetes occurs mainly in people aged over 40. The 'first-line' treatment is diet, weight control and physical activity. If the blood glucose level remains high despite these measures, then tablets to reduce the blood glucose level are usually advised. Insulin injections are needed in some cases. Other treatments include reducing blood pressure if it is high, and other measures to reduce the risk of complications.
With Type 2 diabetes, the illness and symptoms tend to develop gradually (over weeks or months). This is because in Type 2 diabetes you still make insulin (unlike Type 1 diabetes). However, you develop diabetes because:
You do not make enough insulin for your body's needs, OR the cells in your body do not use insulin properly. This is called 'insulin resistance'. The cells in your body become resistant to normal levels of insulin. So, you need more insulin than you normally make to keep the blood glucose level down, OR a combination of the above two reasons.
After you eat, various foods are broken down in your gut into sugars. The main sugar is called glucose which passes through your gut wall into your bloodstream. However, to remain healthy, your blood glucose level should not go too high or too low.
So, when your blood glucose level begins to rise (after you eat), the level of a hormone called insulin should also rise. Insulin works on the cells of your body and makes them take in glucose from the bloodstream. Some of the glucose is used by the cells for energy, and some is converted into glycogen or fat (which are stores of energy). When the blood glucose level begins to fall (between meals), the level of insulin falls. Some glycogen or fat is then converted back into glucose which is released from the cells into the bloodstream.
Insulin is a hormone that is made by cells called beta cells. These are part of little 'islands' of cells (islets) within the pancreas. Hormones are chemicals that are released into the bloodstream and work on various parts of the body.
|
