According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million Americans have diabetes, and of those 90 to 95 percent have type 2 (new-onset) diabetes. These numbers are based on data acquired in 2007.
Features
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that stems from the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin or the inability of the body to utilize the insulin it does produce. This leads to characteristically high levels of blood glucose. Type 2 diabetes affects primarily adults 40 and older who have a weight problem.
Treatment
A doctor initially will prescribe healthy eating and regular exercise as treatment for type 2 diabetes. If diet and exercise cannot control blood glucose levels, drug therapy becomes necessary. There are six classes of oral type 2 diabetes drugs. The biguanide class includes the drug Metformin; sulfonylureas include Diabinese and Orinase; the thiazolidinedione class includes Actos and Avandia; examples of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are Precose and Glyset; the meglitinide class includes Prandin and Starlix; and the dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor class includes Januvia. In some cases, the treatment regimen calls for the use of a combination of two classes. For example, a biguanidine and a sulfonylurea are commonly used together.
Prevention/Solution
In a study published in 2009 in "Archives of Internal Medicine," Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues conclude that men and women 65 and older who are not obese and whose lifestyle factors (physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol consumption) are in the low-risk category have an 89 percent lower incidence of type 2 diabetes relative to the rest of the study subjects.
Famous Ties
Entertainer Dick Clark and CNN talk show host Larry King have type 2 diabetes.
Warning
People with type 2 diabetes must monitor their blood sugar once a day or several times per week.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Living with Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Basics
- "Archives of Internal Medicine;" Lifestyle risk factors and new-onset diabetes mellitus in older adults: the cardiovascular health study; Dariush Mozaffarian; Issue No. 8; 2009
