October 27, 2023
What Leads to Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that occurs because of issues regulating and using sugar as fuel within the body. The long-term condition can result in too much sugar circulating in the blood, which can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous, and immune systems. Type 2 diabetes has two major issues. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells, and the cells respond poorly to insulin, taking in less sugar. The disease has no cure, but there are a variety of factors that you can do to prevent its development. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and eating healthily can all aid in management of the disease. Symptoms often develop slowly and often include increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, frequent infection, numbness or tingling of the hands or feet, and darkened areas of skin around the neck or armpits.
Though Type 2 diabetes can often be maintained with regular diet, exercise, and weight maintenance, there are outside factors that can also contribute to the development of the disease. High blood pressure, high blood triglyceride levels, low “good” cholesterol levels, prediabetes, heart disease, high-fat and carbohydrate diet, high alcohol intake, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity or being overweight, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and being an organ transplant recipient can all increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes has been heavily linked to genetics, meaning that it tends to run in families. If you have a grandparent, parent, brother, or sister who has diabetes, your chances of getting diabetes increase. People of African, Native American, and Hispanic ethnic decent are more likely than people of non-Hispanic white decent to develop Type 2 diabetes. Age also plays a large role into the development of Type 2 diabetes. Those over 45 years old run significantly higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes over those under the age of 45. The risk rises considerably between 45 and 65, increasing with age.
Outside factors such as high blood pressure, high blood triglyceride levels, low “good” cholesterol, and heart disease all disturb the standard relationship between blood sugar and your body. Often, people with high blood pressure do not have noticeable symptoms. If the blood pressure is greatly elevated, a person may experience the following. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, and blurred vision. Irregular blood sugar levels can lead to decreased pancreas function. When put together, high blood pressure, high blood triglyceride levels, low “good” cholesterol levels, and heart disease combined with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes can significantly increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
The most consistent factor to the prevention of Type 2 diabetes is weight maintenance. Obesity accounts for 80-85% of the of the risk in developing Type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that obese people are up to 80 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those with a body mass index less than 22.
The ENC Prevent Diabetes team is structured to help people 18 or older in eastern North Carolina prevent diabetes through a year-long program. To see if you qualify, contact us today.
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