Type 2 diabetes

• Type 2 diabetes is a condition that develops over time and unlike type 1 diabetes is predominantly attributed to poor diet and lifestyle choices
• With type 2 diabetes, the body's cells progressively become resistant to insulin and cannot respond, resulting in increased glucose remaining in the blood
• To compensate for this insulin resistance, the pancreas produces greater amounts of insulin in order to reduce blood glucose levels
• Overproduction of insulin places increased pressure on the beta cells of the pancreas, and over time they can wear out, resulting in a significant reduction of beta cells
• As a result, the pancreas produces significantly less insulin
• The high blood glucose levels associated with type 2 diabetes are therefore generally caused by a combination of insulin resistance and not enough insulin being produced
• As type 2 diabetics exhibit insulin resistance, there is no current cure
• For this reason, modifiable diet and lifestyle choices such as healthy diet and increased exercise are required to manage type 2 diabetes
• In some cases, when type 2 diabetes progressed, and the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, insulin injections may be required to manage blood glucose levels   
• Cause: insulin resistance where the cells become less responsive to insulin, making it harder for glucose to enter cells
• Result: the body's cells don't use insulin effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels. Eventually the pancreas will not produce enough insulin to compensate for resistance
• The body compensates with more insulin production, but eventually, this is insufficient