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Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

This disorder is characterized by high blood glucose. Normally it is managed by increasing exercise and changing the diet, sometimes medications are needed as the disease progresses.

The disease is on that traditionally affected adults, but now with the rise in obesity, it is occurring in children as well.

Insulin resistance means that the body does not respond correctly when insulin is present. Unlike type 1, there is a problem with the cells that usually respond to insulin rather than a problem with the production of insulin.

Type 2 may go undiagnosed for years since symptoms are sometimes milder and can be somewhat sporadic. Severe complications can occur if the disease is not properly managed, including renal failure, erectile dysfunction, blindness, slow healing wounds and even coronary disease. The onset is most common around middle age and later in life, but has been frequently seen in teens and young adults because of childhood obesity and inactivity.

About 90 to 95 percent of all cases of diabetes in North America are type 2 and about 20 percent of people over 65 have mellitus type 2. Diabetes affects over 150 million people all over the world and the number is expected to almost double by the year 2025. There is also a strong genetic connection in type 2 diabetes, with the disease having occurred in close relatives. More than 55 percent of type 2 suffers are obese and it is known that obesity leads to increased insulin resistance that might lead to diabetes, most likely because of fat around the stomach area surrounding internal organs.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is linked with obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol levels and other conditions. Other facts such as aging, high fat diets and a less active lifestyle have been found to contribute to the increase in type 2 diabetes, with early symptoms being nothing more then chronic fatigue and weakness. Other symptoms are excessive urination, excessive thirst and liquid intake, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, lethargy, and itching of the external genital area.

The onset of type 2 diabetes can often be delayed or prevented by proper diet and by regular exercise as well as possibly some drug therapy.

Type 2 is a progressive disease with no known cure, but there are excellent treatments which can delay or prevent the originally thought to be inevitable consequences of the condition. The disease is viewed to be progressive mainly because of lack of control over blood sugar levels that leads to other complications. If levels are maintained, the disease is effectively cured, meaning there is no added risk of neuropathy, blindness and other complications from high blood sugar levels.

Treatment goals for suffers of type 2 diabetes are to have effective control of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipids to reduce the long term results of having diabetes.

It is strongly recommended that self monitoring of blood levels may help to maintain proper glucose control. Since changes can be rapid and frequent depending on diet and exercise as well as medication, results from self-monitoring are important for a patient to have.

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