What is Type 2 Diabetes

RESEARCHED BY SHARON FANT, RN

Type 2 diabetes was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adultonset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90 percent to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is now the fastest spreading disease in human history. It’s incidence around the world has doubled in the past 3 decades, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a global “pandemic” . Type 2 diabetes and the condition that lead to it, insulin resistance (also called pre-diabetes) currently affect close to 30% of the world adult population.

In the United States, diabetes affects an estimated 30+ million adults and teens, with an additional 100 million unsuspecting people walking around with pre-diabetes. Since diabetes is largely a disease without symptoms as it develops, many of these people will not get a diagnosis until it is too late for a full recovery.

I don’t want this to happen to you!

Many people have been led to believe that having diabetes is no big deal because it has become such an common affliction these days, and because so many diabetics seem to be living normal lives due to all of the new drugs available to treat diabetes, and new technology for monitoring blood glucose levels and administering insulin injections. In addition, most people believe that type 2 diabetes is just another unfortunate normal occurrence while growing old, just like cancer and heart disease.

No one is free who is not master of himself. - Epictetus