What Is Type Two Diabetes?
What Is Type Two Diabetes?
People that have type two diabetes are insulin resistant. So what is type two diabetes? This means that their body either doesn’t respond to insulin or cannot produce enough of the hormone to effectively maintain a healthy blood glucose level.
Insulin is the hormone that controls the movement of glucose into the cells. When a person does not respond to insulin, glucose will not be moved into their cells and stored by the body as energy. Instead, the glucose will remain in the bloodstream. Too much sugar in the bloodstream is known as hyperglycemia.
In an attempt to balance blood sugar levels, the body will usually produce a larger supply of insulin. However, even with the additional supply, the body will not be able to effectively process the amount of sugar in the blood. This is known as type two diabetes.
How Does a Person Develop this Disease?
Many different factors contribute to the progression of type 2 diabetes, so what is type two diabetes? In most cases, this disease develops very slowly. Over time, a person will become increasingly resistant to insulin. After awhile, the individual will not be able to maintain a normal blood glucose level on their own.
The main risk factor for this disease is obesity. The great majority of people are considered overweight when they are diagnosed with type two diabetes. This is because body fat actually inhibits the body’s response to insulin. Other common risk factors include:
? Unhealthy diet
? Excessive fat around the stomach region
? A sedentary lifestyle
? Family history of diabetes
? High blood pressure
? High cholesterol
? Age
Most sufferers are over 45 years old when they develop this disease. However, this is not always the case. According to the 2011 National Diabetes Statistics, 215,000 people, under 20 years old, have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Certain races are also more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes. Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and African Americans are at an increased risk of suffering from this disease. However, any overweight individual can develop this disease if they do not make the effort to reduce their body fat and improve their health. Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of what is type 2 diabetes.
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