Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the hormone insulin, made in the pancreas, to help them process blood glucose into energy.
People develop type 2 diabetes because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly. Eventually, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin for the body's needs. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over the years, high blood glucose damages nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections, and amputation.
- What is type 2 diabetes?
- How can type 2 diabetes be prevented?
- What are the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes?
- Types of diabetes
- Should I be tested for diabetes?
- What does it mean to have pre-diabetes?
- Besides age and overweight, what other factors increase my risk for type 2 diabetes?
- What can I do about my risk?
- Doing my part: Getting started
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