Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for about ninety-five percent of all diabetes cases and affects in excess of fifty million Americans, is largely seen in adults over the age of forty. Today, however, it is also being diagnosed increasingly at younger ages, and is even being diagnosed in quite young children.
Type 2 diabetes symptoms are frequently reasonably mild in the early stages of the condition and you can be suffering from type 2 diabetes for very long periods of time before it is diagnosed. However, diabetes is a potentially very serious condition and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes can result in a number of serious complications including renal failure, blindness, wounds which will not heal and coronary artery disease.
Figures suggest that approximately 1 in 5 adults over 65 in the USA is suffering from type 2 diabetes. The condition is more prominent amongst, Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites and is somewhat more common in older women than men.
The origin of type 2 diabetes is a mystery and, while it is thought that there is a genetic component to the disease there is far less evidence for this than is found in the case of type 1 diabetes. There is however clear evidence that environmental factors play a significant role in the development of type 2 diabetes and this is especially true in the case of obesity, insufficient exercise and a sedentary lifestyle.
Many people believe that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are identical and that the difference lies just in the name, with type 1 diabetes referring to the disease in children and type 2 diabetes referring to the disease in adults. This in not however so and, while there are some similarities, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are quite different conditions and require quite different treatment.
With type 1 diabetes the body cannot produce insulin, which is needed for the transfer of glucose (the body's principle source of energy) from the blood into the cells of the body. With type 2 diabetes the problem is not that the body cannot produce insulin but that the body develops a resistance to insulin.
Currently there is no cure for type 2 diabetes which is a chronic condition and treatment is therefore aimed at managing the condition in order to lower the rate of complications many of which can be life-threatening. Additionally, treatment is aimed at maintaining a good quality of life for the sufferer.
At first, patients with type 2 diabetes are treated using a very carefully designed program of diet and exercise (which includes a weight loss program where this is necessary) and this can prove to be extremely effective in controlling glucose levels within the blood and can generally improve a patient's sensitivity to insulin markedly. When this treatment does not prove to be successful, or in cases where the condition progresses, type 2 diabetes is generally treated using a variety of medication.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are often quite mild in the early stages of the condition and it is possible to suffer from type 2 diabetes for many months, or even years, before it is diagnosed. It is however a potentially serious condition and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes can lead to several serious complications including renal failure, blindness, the inability of wounds to heal and coronary artery disease.
Estimates indicate that about one in five adults above the age of 65 in the United States suffers from type 2 diabetes. The condition is more common amongst Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites and is slightly more common in older women than in men.
The origin of type 2 diabetes is a mystery and, while it is thought that there is a genetic component to the disease this is much less clearly evident than it is in the case of type 1 diabetes. Evidence does however clearly show that environmental factors play a large part in the development of type 2 diabetes and this is particularly true in the case of obesity, a lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle.
Many people believe that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the same thing and that the difference lies simply in the name, with type 1 diabetes being used when referring to the disease childhood and type 2 diabetes being used for adults. This in not however the case and, while there are some similarities, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are quite separate conditions and require very different forms of treatment.
In the case of type 1 diabetes the body is unable to produce insulin, which is needed for the transfer of glucose (the body's main source of energy) from the blood into the muscles and other cells of the body. In the case of type 2 diabetes the problem is not that the body cannot produce insulin, although in certain cases insulin production may be low, but that the body becomes resistant to insulin.
There is presently no cure for type 2 diabetes which is a chronic condition and treatment is therefore designed to manage the disease to lower the incidence of complications (many of which can be life-threatening). Treatment is also aimed at maintaining a good quality of life for the sufferer.
Initially, patients with type 2 diabetes are treated using a carefully designed program of diet and exercise (including a weight loss plan where this is needed) and this can be very effective in controlling levels of glucose within the blood and can often improve a patient's sensitivity to insulin considerably. Where this treatment does not prove to be successful, or in cases where the disease progresses, the condition is usually treated with a range of medication.
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