Type
2 diabetes
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Type 2 Diabetes
Approximately 95 percent of people with diabetes have
type 2 disease (also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or
NIDDM). Those with type 2 produce insulin, but the cells in their bodies
are "insulin resistant" -- they don't respond properly to the
hormone, so glucose accumulates in their blood. Some people with type
2 diabetes must inject insulin, but most can control the disease through
a combination of weight loss, exercise, a prescription oral diabetes medication,
and tight control.
Risk factors
- Like type 1 diabetes, type 2 disease also runs
in families.
- Most people diagnosed with type 2 are age 30 or
older. Half of all new cases are age 55 and older.
- Compared with whites and Asians, type 2 diabetes
is more common among Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, and
Hispanics.
- Insulin resistance worsens as weight increases
and physical activity decreases. Many people with type 2 diabetes have
sedentary lifestyles and are obese; they weigh at least 20 percent more
than the recommended weight for their height and build.
- Lack of exercise, especially in those who are
overweight, increases risk.
- If you developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy,
you're at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes later.
- Women who have given birth to babies weighing
9 pounds or more are at an increased risk.
- These include thiazide diuretics (used to manage
high blood pressure) and steroids (used to help with inflammatory conditions).
What causes it?
Scientists are not certain, but type 2, like type
1 diabetes, runs in families, which suggests some genetic connection.
In fact, a genetic link seems even stronger in type 2 diabetes than in
type 1. Scientists have not yet put their finger on a single gene that
causes the disease, but they are finding errors in several that may contribute
to the disease. Researchers also suspect a genetic susceptibility to obesity.
Obesity is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Definitions
of obesity differ, but in general, you're obese if you weigh at least
20 percent more than what's recommended for your height and build. Three-quarters
of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. For reasons that remain
unclear, carrying excess body fat somehow causes insulin resistance. That's
why type 2 diabetes is usually treated with diet and exercise.
Losing weight and gaining muscle helps the body use insulin more efficiently.
Where you carry your weight is as important as how much you carry. People
who carry their fat above their hips have a greater risk of developing
type 2 diabetes than those who carry it on their hips
Age also plays a role in type 2 diabetes. Half of all new diagnoses are
in people age 55 and above, and nearly 11 percent of Americans ages 65
to 74 have type 2 diabetes. However, researchers don't know if age is
a cause of type 2 diabetes or simply a reflection of the fact that people
tend to gain weight and become less physically active as they grow older.
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