Diabetes Type 2
Diabetes Type 2 occurs when the body becomes unable to regulate blood sugar, that is to say, the rate of glucose or sugar in the blood. This disease affects more adults who are obese or overweight.
In a person with diabetes type 2, blood glucose remains above normal values. In the long term, if blood glucose is lowered by treatment, it can cause serious health problems.
This chronic disease requires a personalized treatment and close monitoring by the individual and the medical team. The healthy lifestyle are the mainstay of treatment. If needed, medicines can be used. Since insulin injections are rarely necessary, it also gives him the name of diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), as opposed to type 1 diabetes.
A disease progression
The number of people with type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly worldwide over the last decade and continues to do so. In Canada, in 2008, 8.6% of people aged 45 to 64 years reported having been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 6.8% in 2003. In the 65 years and older, the prevalence increased from 13.5% in 2003 to 16% in 2008. It is estimated that type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 90% of cases of diabetes.
The type 2 diabetes usually occurs after the age of 40 years, but now reaching more and more children and adolescents.
The diet rich in fat and sugar and a sedentary lifestyle are factors that contribute most to this phenomenon because they cause excess weight. Over time, accumulation of fat in organs causes insulin resistance. This resistance to insulin is the first step toward type 2 diabetes.
You should know that insulin is the "key" that allows the muscles and liver, for example, absorb glucose (sugar), a major source of energy. In a person resistant to insulin, the key not working well or at all. Thus, glucose remains in the blood and the blood sugar rises gradually. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas. At first, to compensate for this resistance to insulin, the pancreas begins to produce more. However, over time, the pancreas becomes exhausted. Consequently, insulin secretion decreases and, in some cases, cease altogether.
Diabetes type 2 is the result of two phenomena: first, resistance to insulin, then the exhaustion of the pancreas.
Diagnosis
As type 2 diabetes is not accompanied by symptoms in its early days, we often discovered incidentally during a routine medical examination.
Tests of blood glucose can be detected: a test of fasting plasma glucose or random and, sometimes, a glucose tolerance test. This test is a blood sugar reading 2 hours after ingesting a sweet juice containing 75 g glucose.
Even if results are normal, it is usually recommended to take these tests at regular intervals to detect the disease early.
Possible Complications
For information on the acute complications (hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, caused by the adjustment of the treatment of hyperglycemia hyperosmolar syndrome in diabetic untreated), see our fact sheet Diabetes (Overview).
In the long term, many diabetics see their health deteriorate because of their illness, especially if the diabetes is not well controlled and monitored. High blood sugar is chronically particular cause of irreversible vision loss, pain due to nerve damage, heart disease and kidney failure. For more information, please visit our page Complications of diabetes.
