Type 2 diabetes or hyperglycemia is a condition where there is high blood sugar than normal. The pancreas in the body does not produce sufficient insulin to metabolize the sugar in the blood in type 2 diabetes. This is called insulin resistance. These diabetes also known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes it is a chronic condition affecting the metabolism of sugar. Type 2 diabetes is more commonly seen in adults though children who are obese are at a high risk for this condition.
At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to metabolize the sugar, but eventually it loses its speed to produce insulin, thus leading to the buildup of sugar in the blood stream. There are a combination of causes that leads to type 2 diabetes. They are:
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes is so mild that it goes unnoticed. Below are some of them:
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes go unnoticed, but the long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. Some life-threatening complications include:
Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed by a blood test. An A1C test provides an average of the blood glucose over the past 2 or 3 months. An A1C level of 6.5% or higher indicates the presence of diabetes. Normal levels are below 5.7%. Fasting plasma glucose measures blood sugar on an empty stomach. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL is normal. Sugar level of 126 mg/dL or higher indicates the presence of diabetes. Oral glucose tolerance test checks blood glucose before and 2 hours after a sweet is drunk. Blood sugar level less than 140 mg/dL is normal. A reading of 200 mg/dL or higher after two hours indicates diabetes.
Diabetes is a life-long disease and there is no cure for type 2 diabetes. But it can be managed by eating well, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight. Insulin therapy might also be needed in addition to diet and exercising.
Some drugs for diabetes include metformin, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, and rosiglitazone. Insulin therapy is started as one long-acting shot at night. In addition to all these medications, low-dose aspirin therapy and blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications also help prevent heart and blood vessel diseases. Finally, type 2 diabetic individuals with a BMI of more than 35 tend to undergo bariatric surgery. This helps in reducing the body weight, thereby the sugar levels.
Stem cells help the pancreas to regenerate its ability to produce insulin. Repeated application of adipose stem cells is performed for treating type 2 diabetes. The differentiation of stem cells into insulin producing beta cells is the technique involved behind this. The cells are administered by local administration or intravenous administration. Once fused, these cells repopulate in the damaged pancreas and differentiate into lost or damaged beta cells. This in turn helps in the secretion of insulin for breaking the sugars.