Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes
Other namesAdult-onset diabetes;
non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
A blue circle is the universal symbol of diabetes.
Pronunciation
Medical specialtyEndocrinology
SymptomsIncreased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, increased hunger
ComplicationsHyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, diabetic ketoacidosis, heart disease, stroke, diabetic retinopathy, kidney failure, lower-limb amputations
Usual onsetMiddle or older age
DurationLong term
CausesObesity, lack of exercise, genetics
Diagnostic methodBlood test
PreventionMaintaining normal weight, exercising, healthy diet
TreatmentDietary changes, exercise, diabetes medication such as metformin and insulin, bariatric surgery
Prognosis10 year shorter life expectancy
Frequency392 million (2015)

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (or T2D, type 2 DM, adult-onset diabetes) is a metabolic disorder where high levels of blood sugar (called hyperglycemia) can happen. If it is left untreated, it can cause heart attacks, strokes, blindness and kidney failure.

Cause

Usually in the body, blood sugar levels are regulated by insulin, but in type 2 diabetes it is not. Insulin is a hormone which tells the muscle and fat cells of the body to take up sugar from the blood. If there is too much sugar in the blood for a long period of time, the muscle and fat cells start to ignore insulin. As a result, sugar stays in the blood and is not taken up, leading to a high blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is different from diabetes mellitus type 1. In T1D, the islet cells, which make insulin in the pancreas, have been destroyed by the body, and as a result there is no insulin. Diabetes type 1 usually occurs in children or young adults, while diabetes type 2 usually occurs in older people. However, recently childhood obesity has led to some young adults and teenagers developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes makes up around 90% of cases of diabetes, while type 1 diabetes and other types of diabetes make up the other 10%.

Type 2 diabetes is a result of both genetics and lifestyle. People who have relatives with diabetes type 2 are at an increased risk. They may develop diabetes if they have other risk factors in their lifestyle, for example obesity, or low amount of exercise.

Complications

Poorly managed diabetes can lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness and kidney failure.

Treatment

Type 2 diabetes can often be treated by losing weight and exercising more, as these increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. A medicine called Metformin is often prescribed, which works by helping the fat and muscle cells of the body listen to the signal from insulin to take up sugar from the blood.

Reducing carbohydrate consumption could help with managing type 2 diabetes.

References

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  3. 1 2 "Diagnosis of Diabetes and Prediabetes". niddk.nih.gov. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Pasquel FJ, Umpierrez GE (November 2014). "Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state: a historic review of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment". Diabetes Care. 37 (11): 3124–31. doi:10.2337/dc14-0984. PMC 4207202. PMID 25342831.
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  7. ↑ Maruthur NM, Tseng E, Hutfless S, Wilson LM, Suarez-Cuervo C, Berger Z, Chu Y, Iyoha E, Segal JB, Bolen S (June 2016). "Diabetes Medications as Monotherapy or Metformin-Based Combination Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". Annals of Internal Medicine. 164 (11): 740–51. doi:10.7326/M15-2650. PMID 27088241. S2CID 32016657.
  8. ↑ Cetinkunar S, Erdem H, Aktimur R, Sozen S (June 2015). "Effect of bariatric surgery on humoral control of metabolic derangements in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: How it works". World Journal of Clinical Cases. 3 (6): 504–9. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v3.i6.504. PMC 4468896. PMID 26090370.
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  10. ↑ Krentz AJ, Bailey CJ (February 2005). "Oral antidiabetic agents: current role in type 2 diabetes mellitus". Drugs. 65 (3): 385–411. doi:10.2165/00003495-200565030-00005. PMID 15669880. S2CID 29670619.
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  12. ↑ Vos T, Allen C, Arora M, Barber RM, Bhutta ZA, Brown A, et al. (GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators) (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
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  15. 1 2 Basics about diabetes, CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/learn.htm
  16. 1 2 Kumar et al 2012. Robbins and Cotran Pathological Basis of Disease, p. 1136. Saunders Elsevier, Philidelphia
  17. ↑ Weeratunga, Praveen; Jayasinghe, Sayumi; Perera, Yashasvi; Jayasena, Ganga; Jayasinghe, Saroj (2014-02-20). "Per capita sugar consumption and prevalence of diabetes mellitus--global and regional associations". BMC Public Health. 14 186. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-186. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 3936705. PMID 24555673.
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  19. ↑ Goldenberg, Joshua Z.; Day, Andrew; Brinkworth, Grant D.; Sato, Junko; Yamada, Satoru; Jönsson, Tommy; Beardsley, Jennifer; Johnson, Jeffrey A.; Thabane, Lehana (2021-01-13). "Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data". BMJ. 372 m4743. doi:10.1136/bmj.m4743. ISSN 1756-1833. PMC 7804828. PMID 33441384.
  20. ↑ Meng, Yan; Bai, Hao; Wang, Shijun; Li, Zhaoping; Wang, Qian; Chen, Liyong (September 2017). "Efficacy of low carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus management: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 131: 124–131. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2017.07.006. ISSN 1872-8227. PMID 28750216.