Type 2 Diabetes

Could traditional Chinese medicine hold an answer to the obesity problem?

Obesity might be a very modern problem, but a team of scientists from Taiwan and China is turning to the age-old principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to help fight it.  Breaking research published in the Journal of ...

Medical research created Jan 31, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

One in eight Americans diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, poll says

(HealthDay)—A staggering one in eight Americans has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll suggests.

Diabetes created Feb 20, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Higher mortality rate seen in middle-aged diabetes patients

(HealthDay)—Middle-aged people with type 2 diabetes, particularly women and those under the age of 55, have a two to three times higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than people without ...

Diabetes created Mar 25, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Foods identified as 'whole grain' not always healthy

Current standards for classifying foods as "whole grain" are inconsistent and, in some cases, misleading, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. One of the most widely used industry ...

Health created Jan 10, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Creatinine excretion rate linked to higher mortality in T2DM

(HealthDay)—In patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy, a lower creatinine excretion rate (CER) is associated with higher all-cause mortality, according to research published online Jan. 8 in Diabetes Ca ...

Diabetes created Feb 12, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Vitamin D may lower diabetes risk in obese children and adolescents, study finds

Childhood and adolescent obesity rates in the United States have increased dramatically in the past three decades. Being obese puts individuals at greater risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, a disease in which individuals ...

Diabetes created Mar 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Accelerated cognitive decline seen with T2DM in middle age

(HealthDay)—Middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes show accelerated cognitive decline in information processing speed and executive function, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in Diabetes Ca ...

Diabetes created Jan 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Potential stem cell therapy for diabetes: Study looks at differentiation of hESCs in endocrine cell progression

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes results when beta cells in the pancreas fail to produce enough insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. One approach to treating diabetes is to stimulate regeneration of ...

Medical research created Jan 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New evidence that natural substances in green coffee beans help control blood sugar levels

Scientists today described evidence that natural substances extracted from unroasted coffee beans can help control the elevated blood sugar levels and body weight that underpin type 2 diabetes. Their presentation on chlorogenic ...

Health created Apr 09, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Research links family's role in reducing childhood obesity

Despite recent data showing that childhood obesity in the U.S. has begun to drop, overweight and obese kids and teens remain a personal and public health hazard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ...

Overweight and Obesity created Jan 16, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Study suggests glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists related to adolescent weight loss

Preliminary evidence from a clinical trial suggests that treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists was associated with reduced body mass index and body weight in adolescents with severe obesity, according ...

Pediatrics created Feb 04, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study shows dietary fat can affect glucose levels and insulin requirements in type 1 diabetes

In a study of patients with type 1 diabetes, Joslin researchers found that dietary fat can affect glucose levels and insulin requirements. These findings, which appeared in the April edition of Diabetes Care, have major ...

Diabetes created Mar 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Fatty liver may directly mediate CAD in metabolic syndrome

(HealthDay)—Men and women with fatty liver are more likely to have metabolic syndrome (MetS) with type 2 diabetes, and women with fatty liver are more likely to have MetS with subclinical atherosclerosis, ...

Diabetes created Jan 23, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Diet change works swiftly in reducing risk

A study by Lynnette Ferguson, Professor of Nutrition at The University of Auckland, has shown that a change in diet can be effective in reducing inflammation over a period of just six weeks in healthy New Zealanders.

Health created Jan 14, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Fractalkine: New protein target for controlling diabetes

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a previously unknown biological mechanism involved in the regulation of pancreatic islet beta cells, whose role is to produce and release ...

Diabetes created Apr 11, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast


Diabetes mellitus type 2 – formerly non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes – is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The classic symptoms are excess thirst, frequently having to urinate, and constant hunger. Type 2 diabetes makes up about 90% of cases of diabetes with the other 10% due primarily to diabetes mellitus type 1 and gestational diabetes. Obesity is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes in people who are genetically predisposed to the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is initially managed by increasing exercise and dietary modification. If blood sugars are not lowered by these measures, medications such as metformin or insulin may be needed. In those on insulin there is typically the requirement to routinely check blood sugar levels.

Rates of diabetes have increased markedly over the last 50 years in parallel with obesity. As of 2010 there are approximately 285 million people with the disease compared to around 30 million in 1985. Long-term complications from high blood sugar can include heart attacks, strokes, diabetic retinopathy where eye sight is affected, kidney failure which may require dialysis, and poor circulation of limbs leading to amputations. The acute complication ketoacidosis is uncommon unlike in type 1 diabetes, nonketonic hyperglycemia however may occur.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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