Type 2 Diabetes - Type 2 Diabetes, Most Common In America

Type 2 Diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes, present in the majority of diabetes cases in America. This type of diabetes is often preventable, though there is no cure for it at this time. Type 2 Diabetes occurs when the body develops a resistance to insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas, which breaks down glucose in the food we eat to use as an energy fuel.

In a person who is not affected by the condition, the sugar absorbed from the feet we eat and enters the body’s cells with the aid of insulin. The insulin reduces the levels of sugar in your bloodstream. The liver functions with the pancreas to serve as storage center to release glucose when your levels are low, (such as when it has been awhile since your last meal) so that you may stay in a normal range. In a person with type 2 diabetes, this process is hindered because the body has become resistant to the insulin hormone, or completely ignores it, causing sugar to build in your bloodstream. The exact reason that insulin resistance occurs is unknown, but it seems that factors such as being overweight or underactive do play a role in the onset of the condition.

Though the cause is unknown, there are certain factors will increase a person’s risk of developing the condition. These factors are weight, activity level, family history, age, race, pre diabetes, and/or gestational diabetes. The more fat cells present in your body, the greater the chance of those cells building a resistance to insulin, therefore causing onset. The higher your activity level, the more glucose your body must use to generate energy, and thus creating a greater sensitivity to insulin. There is no clear reason, but it seems that people of Asian, African American, and Hispanic descent are actually at a higher risk to develop type 2 diabetes. The risk heightens with age, as generally exercise decreases and weight gain occurs; however, more cases are being shown in children and young adults. If a diagnosis of pre-diabetes has been given, yet nothing is done to treat it, it is more likely to develop into full diabetes, and similarly, if a person has ever developed gestational diabetes (diabetes that occurs only during a pregnancy), there is higher risk for the condition.

Several conditions can stem from being affected by type 2 diabetes, ranging from a simple high blood sugar, to much more serious conditions such as eye, foot, heart, and kidney damage. It is very important to seek treatment and to follow guidelines carefully to properly manage the condition so that a normal lifestyle can be maintained.