What is type 2 diabetes?

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes mellitus and accounts for 90% to 95% of people with diabetes [1,2,3,4].

This metabolic disorder is characterized by a decrease in the effects of insulin on body cells, called insulin resistance, and insufficient insulin production by the pancreas. Since insulin is responsible for regulating blood glucose levels, it leads to hyperglycemia because the blood glucose level becomes too high. These abnormalities are most often triggered in people with a family history of type 2 diabetes and an unhealthy lifestyle, often with problems of overweight or obesity [1,3,5,6,7,8].

Symptoms

Before its onset, type 2 diabetes develops silently for a long time, without any noticeable symptoms [4]. For this reason, it is not uncommon for patients to discover that they have diabetes during a medical consultation initially made for other health concerns [3,4,6].

Therefore, even a person who does not experience any symptoms of type 2 diabetes may be affected by the disease.

Diabetes can also manifest itself through typical symptoms of hyperglycemia, such as:

• Fatigue;
• Excessive thirst;
• Weight loss;
• Frequent urge to urinate;
• Slow healing;
• Hyperglycemia detected during a blood test [2,3,8].

Causes

Often observed in cases of excess weight and obesity, type 2 diabetes is defined as being an excess of sugar in the blood, which occurs after cells have become desensitized to insulin. This is called insulin resistance [1,2,5,6,8].

Excess blood sugar pushes the cells in the pancreas, specialized in insulin secretion, to overproduce insulin in an attempt to stabilize blood sugar [1,2,5,6,8].

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when the pancreas can no longer secrete enough insulin to compensate for insulin resistance [1,2,5,8].

Risk factors

Several genetic and environmental factors increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes [1,3,4,6,7].

• Genetic predisposition, a recognized risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, with a risk level of at least 40% for a person with parents who are living with diabetes [3,6].
• Lack of physical exercise and a high-sugar, high-fatty acid, low-fiber diet, both paving the way to abnormal insulin production and action [1,3,4,6,7]. 
• Overweight and obesity [3,7].                                                                                          

Other factors linked to lifestyle have also been identified: 

• Smoking
• Insufficient and low-quality sleep
• Depression and stress
• Excessive or regular alcohol consumption [3,6,7].

Treatments 

Treatments 

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the primary measure in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and also the best way to delay or even prevent its onset. A balanced diet and regular physical activity help to regulate blood glucose levels and, in cases of excess weight or obesity, will stimulate weight loss [3,4,5,6].

Sometimes transitioning to a healthy lifestyle is not enough. If this is the case, drug treatment based on oral anti-diabetics is required. If necessary, insulin supplements may also be offered as a type 2 diabetes treatment in the case of failure or low efficacy of oral antidiabetic medication [3,5,7].

In cases of obesity, bariatric surgery procedures may be beneficial in reducing excess weight and treating type 2 diabetes [9].