Type 2 diabetes
What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes occurs
when the body produces too little insulin to work, or when the
cells in the body do not react properly to insulin. This is called
insulin resistance.
In many cases, this type of diabetes is associated with obesity.
It is sometimes referred to as maturity-onset diabetes because it
usually develops in people over 40 years of age. However, it is
also possible for children as young as seven to develop type 2
diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1 diabetes, which
occurs when the body produces no insulin at all. People with type 2
diabetes make up as much as 95% of all people with diabetes.
Someone with type 2 diabetes may be able to control their
symptoms just by eating a healthy diet and monitoring their blood
glucose levels. However, type 2 diabetes is progressive, so it is
possible that they will eventually need to take insulin medication,
such as injections.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes
The main symptoms of diabetes are:
- feeling very thirsty,
- producing excessive amounts of urine,
- tiredness, and
- weight loss and muscle wasting (loss of muscle bulk).
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes will usually develop over weeks or
months. Your symptoms may develop so slowly that you do not
realise you are unwell for some time. Other symptoms are:
- itchiness around the vagina or penis or getting thrush
regularly,
- blurred vision (caused by the lens of your eye becoming very
dry),
- slow healing time of cuts and sores, and
- patches of dark, smooth skin, usually in your armpits or on
your neck.
In some cases, you may have type 2 diabetes and have few or even
no symptoms at all. However, you will still need treatment in order
to prevent other health problems, such as kidney disease,
developing later on.
What causes type 2 diabetes? The exact cause of
type 2 diabetes is not fully understood, although there are many
factors that make developing the condition more likely. The more
factors that apply to you, the higher your risk of developing type
2 diabetes.
In most cases, type 2 diabetes is thought to be linked to having
excess body fat. If you are overweight or obese,
the cells in your body become less responsive to the effects of
insulin. This helps to explain why 80% of people who develop type 2
diabetes are overweight or obese, tend not to get much exercise and
have a large waist.
Women are thought to be at a higher risk of developing type 2
diabetes if they have a waist size of 31.5 inches (80cm) or over.
Men are thought to be at a higher risk if they are Asian and their
waist is 35 inches (90cm) or over, or if they are white or black
with a waist size of 37 inches (94cm) or over.
It is not known why some ethnicities are more at risk of
developing type 2 diabetes than others. However, you are at least
five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are
African-Caribbean or of south Asian origin and living in the UK,
than someone who is white.
Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes also increases with your
age, which may be due to the fact that people tend gain weight and
exercise less as they get older. You are considered to be at risk
of developing type 2 diabetes if you are over 40 years of age and
white, or over 25 years of age and black, Asian or from a minority
ethnic group. However, some children as young as seven are now
being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
There is also a genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes. You are
more likely to develop the condition if you have a close relative
(such as a parent or sibling) who has type 2 diabetes.
You are also more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if:
- you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol,
- you have had a heart attack or stroke,
- you are a woman and developed diabetes while you were pregnant
(gestational diabetes),
- you are a woman who has given birth to a large baby (over
9lbs/4 kg), or
- you are a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and you
are overweight or obese.
You also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes if
you have either impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG), or impaired
glucose tolerance (IGT). These conditions are sometimes also known
as pre-diabetes, and mean that your blood glucose level is higher
than usual, but not high enough to cause diabetes. IFG and IGT can
both progress into type 2 diabetes if you do not take care to
prevent it
Diagnosing type 2 diabetes It is important to
diagnose diabetes as early as possible so that treatment can be
started. If you experience symptoms, you should see your GP as soon
as possible. They will ask you about your symptoms and ask for a
urine sample.
It may not be possible to prevent type 2 diabetes altogether,
but by controlling the risk factors you may be able to reduce your
chances of developing it. For example, you should:
lose weight if you are overweight or obese,
keep your waist size under 31.5 inches (80cm) if you are a
woman, 35 inches (90cm) if you are an Asian man, and 37 inches
(94cm) if you are a white or black man,
- get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day,
- do not smoke,
- keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control,
and
- only drink alcohol in moderation.
Additional information can be found on the
NHS UK website