DIABETES

Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which there are high blood sugarlevels over a prolonged period. Symptoms of high blood sugar include frequent urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger. If left untreated, diabetes can cause many complications. Acute complications include diabetic ketoacidosis and nonketotic hyperosmolar coma. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure, foot ulcers, and damage to the eyes.

General Diabetes Resources

A Sweet Life – Started in 2009 by married couple Mike and Jessica Apple, both diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as adults, A Sweet Life shares recipes and tips about living and eating healthy with diabetes. A wide range of professional journalists and bloggers, including Catherine Price and Katie Bacon, contribute to A Sweet Life. Posts also cover the latest diabetes research, treatments, and reports on financial and technological issues important to people with diabetes.

Diabetes Daily Blog – Featuring over 100 writers, Diabetes Daily provides information about type 1 and type 2 diabetes, healthy recipes, workout routines, treatment and technology information and reviews, weight loss tips, and general diabetes management strategies. A fantastic resource for both patients and family members, Diabetes Daily also includes a large diabetes forum. Diabetes Daily was founded in 2005 and is one of the most frequently visited diabetes blogs.

DiabetesMine – Created in 2005 by and for people impacted by diabetes, DiabetesMine provides a mix of diabetes news, views, reviews, guest posts, interviews, videos, cartoons, and Q&A in the form of “a diabetes newspaper with a personal twist.” DiabetesMine aims to improve life and outcomes for people with diabetes by promoting innovation in diabetes care and tools, such as its annual Innovation Summit and D-Data Exchange.

Diabetes Self-Management – A magazine first printed in 1983 and now in digital form, Diabetes Self-Management is a website and blog that offers practical advice for people with diabetes. Diabetes Self-Management includes countless articles about nutrition, exercise, medications, technology, and emotional health as well as comprehensive background information about diabetes and various support resources.

DiabetesSisters – A Healthline-named Top Diabetes Blog of 2014, DiabetesSisters offers a range of education and support services to help women of all ages with all types of diabetes live healthier lives. Since its inception in January 2008, DiabetesSisters’ passionate founder Brandy Barnes has made it her mission to engage, unite, and empower women with diabetes to reach their full potential.

dLife – Focused on empowering people with diabetes to take care of themselves in the best way possible, dLife provides tools for self-management to keep people actively engaged in their own care. The dLife philosophy calls for the whole person to be treated, not just a person’s blood sugar, and this site discusses a variety of topics ranging from childhood diabetes to battling pizza cravings to information about oral medications. dLife was founded by Howard Steinberg way back in 2004 and has since touched the lives of millions of people with diabetes.

Integrated Diabetes Services – This website was founded by certified diabetes educator Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, in 1995 to provide patients and family members with accessible and expert advice in order to better “navigate the complexities of living with and managing” diabetes. In addition to online links, resources, and news, Integrated Diabetes Services LLC provides blood sugar regulation and self-management training services for children and adults in their Philadelphia office. They also offer remote diabetes coaching services via phone and internet. 

Glu – Glu is a type 1 diabetes online community that aims to connect users with over 13,000 other people touched by type 1 diabetes, accelerate type 1 research, and provide educational content. Glu is part of T1D Exchange, a nonprofit organization designed to accelerate research on the path to cures for type 1 diabetes.

Testing Time	Normal	Diabetes
Fasting blood sugar	80-99 mg/dl	126 mg/dl and above
Random blood sugar	80-139 mg/dl	200 mg/dl and above
2 hour glucose tolerance test	80-139 mg/dl	200 mg/dl and above

The Type 2 Experience – The Type 2 Experience (TT2E) is a “collaboration blog” created by various people with type 2 diabetes. Developed after recognizing the need to make the type 2 presence in the diabetes online community more visible, TT2E is a space for people with type 2 diabetes to share personal stories and ideas, make connections, and work out many misconceptions. TT2E was founded in 2013. 

Blogs for Parents and Family Members of Children with Diabetes

Diabetes Dad – Tom Karlya, the father of two children with diabetes and one without, is the voice of Diabetes Dad. When his daughter was diagnosed in 1992, Karlya made a promise to “not stop until we found a cure for her and millions more like her.” He started Diabetes Dad in 2012 to help educate other parents and members of the diabetes community about diabetes management tools and healthy living.

D-Mom – Written by the mother of “Q,” a young girl with type 1 diabetes, D-Mom is a blog about “parenting children with type 1 diabetes.” D-Mom includes a wide range of resources about smart snack foods for children with diabetes, tips for dining out, information about diabetes camps, book reviews, videos, and links to helpful organizations and social networks. D-Mom was founded in 2008.

Your Diabetes May Vary – Your Diabetes May Vary (YDMV) is “the miscellaneous ramblings of a family with two kids with Type 1 Diabetes.” Founded in 2007 by Bennet Dunlap, the father of two kids with type 1 diabetes, this personal blog aims to provide people with diabetes news and help connect and engage people within the diabetes community. 

Diabetes Forums

Children with Diabetes – Founded in 1995, Children with Diabetes is a forum where parents and other family members of children with diabetes can connect and share information and tips about schools and daycare, sports and athletics, nutrition and food, pregnancy, and other information related to raising a child with diabetes. It was started by type 1 parent Mr. Jeff Hitchcock after his daughter Marissa was diagnosed with diabetes. CWD also holds an amazing conference, Friends for Life, every July in Orlando.

Diabetes Daily Forum – Diabetes Daily contains a collection of forums where patients, family members, and others in the diabetes community can post personal stories, ask questions, share news, and much more. Topics range from exercise and diet to clinical trial recruitment to how diabetes is portrayed in the arts and modern culture. Diabetes Daily Forum, along with the DiabetesDaily blog, was founded in 2005.

Diabetic Connect - Diabetic Connect is an online diabetes community that provides people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes with treatment information, recipes, news, several discussion forums, videos, and more. The website also includes an “Ask an Expert” feature in which users can post questions to be answered by health care professionals. 

TuDiabetes – A program of the Diabetes Hands Foundation, TuDiabetes is a “community of people touched by diabetes.” Patients and family members share personal stories, post helpful resources, and ask questions about diabetes. They also have a Spanish version of the forum called EsTuDiabetes. TuDiabetes was founded in 2007. 

Type 1 diabetes

Whether you have type 1 diabetes, are a caregiver or loved one of a person with type 1 diabetes, or just want to learn more, the following page provides an overview of type 1 diabetes.

New to type 1 diabetes? Check out "Starting Point: Type 1 Diabetes Basics," which answers some of the basic questions about type 1 diabetes: what is type 1 diabetes, what are its symptoms, how is it treated, and many more!

Want to learn a bit more? See our “Helpful Links” page below, which provides links to diaTribe articles focused on type 1 diabetes. These pages provide helpful tips for living with type 1 diabetes, our patient-perspective column by Adam Brown, drug and device overviews, information about diabetes complications, and some extra pages we hope you’ll find useful!

Starting Point: Type 1 Diabetes Basics

• What is type 1 diabetes?
• Can type 1 diabetes be prevented?
• What is the risk of developing type 1 diabetes if it runs in my family?
• What are its symptoms?
• How is it diagnosed?
• How is it treated?
• Do all people with type 1 diabetes wear pumps? 
• How many people with type 1 diabetes use continuous glucose monitors?
• What is hypoglycemia?
• What is hyperglycemia?
• What are the complications of type 1 diabetes?
• Does type 1 diabetes affect life expectancy?

What is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is disease in which the body can no longer produce insulin. Insulin is normally needed to convert sugar (also called glucose) and other food sources into energy for the body’s cells. It is believed that in people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system attacks and kills the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot control blood sugar, and people can suffer from dangerously high blood sugar levels (called hyperglycemia). To control their blood glucose levels, people with type 1 diabetes take insulin injections. Before the discovery of insulin, type 1 diabetes was a death sentence (and it still is for patients with poor access to insulin).

Can Type 1 Diabetes Be Prevented? Unfortunately, the genetic and environmental triggers for the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes are not well understood, although we know that family members of people with type 1 diabetes are at more risk. There is currently no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes, although Diabetes TrialNet runs studies testing various treatments that could potentially prevent or slow progression of the disease.

What is the Risk of Developing Type 1 Diabetes if it Runs in My Family? People who have family members with type 1 diabetes are more likely to develop it themselves. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center, if an immediate relative (parent, brother, sister, son or daughter) has type 1 diabetes, your risk of developing type 1 diabetes is about 10 to 20 times the risk of the general population (normally a 1% risk). If one child in a family has type 1 diabetes, their siblings have about a 1 in 10 risk of developing it by age 50. Interestingly, a child from a father with type 1 diabetes has about a 10% chance of developing it, while a child with a mother with type 1 diabetes has about a 4% risk of developing it if the mother was 25 or younger at birth, and a 1% risk of developing it if the mother was older than 25 at birth (consistent with the general population risk).

What are its Symptoms? According to the American Diabetes Association, the common symptoms of type 1 diabetes are:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss even though you are eating more

How is it Diagnosed? 

According to the ADA, diabetes can be diagnosed through any one of the following tests:

1. A glycated hemoglobin test, which is commonly referred to as an HbA1c, or simply A1c, test. This test measures the body’s average blood sugar levels from the past 3 months. An A1c of 6.5% or higher is considered a diagnosis of diabetes, 5.7% to 6.4% is considered prediabetes, and an A1c of under 5.7% is considered normal.
2. A fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, which measures the body's glucose level after fasting (no caloric intake) for eight hours. An FPG result of 126 mg/dl or greater indicates a positive diagnosis of diabetes.
3. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which measures the body's blood glucose level two hours after the intake of 75-grams of glucose. An OGTT result of 200 mg/dl or greater indicates a positive diagnosis of diabetes.
4. In someone with classic symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), a random plasma glucose test with a result of 200 mg/dl or greater indicates a positive diagnosis of diabetes.
5. *Note, it is possible to get a diabetes-related antibody test to confirm a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes specifically (and not another kind of diabetes).

How is it Treated? People with type 1 diabetes use insulin daily in order to help control their blood sugar levels. There are two main types of insulin: basal insulin and prandial (meal-time) insulin. Basal insulin is designed to be injected once or twice per day to provide a constant low level of insulin over time. Basal insulin helps keep blood sugars at a consistent level when you are not eating, but it is not enough to cover glucose spikes after mealtime. Prandial insulins, on the other hand, are taken before mealtime and act rapidly on the body, serving to bring down the high sugar levels following meals. Other drugs like Symlin (pramlintide) can help lower appetite and lower post-meal blood sugar levels, and some people with type 1 diabetes take other drugs off-label that may also help control blood sugar. For a full overview of diabetes drugs available today, please see our diabetes drugs resource page.

Do All People with Type 1 Diabetes Wear Pumps? According data from the T1D Exchange, about 50% of people with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps. Other patients choose to inject their insulin manually with insulin pens or syringes. 

How Many People with Type 1 Diabetes Use Continuous Glucose Monitors? According to data from the T1D Exchange, about 10% of people with type 1 diabetes use continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Many patients and healthcare providers find CGMs to be incredibly valuable to diabetes management (you can read more in Adam’s account of how CGMs improved his management here). However, some patients have found that CGMs can be expensive and may not be covered under some insurance plans. Currently, CGMs are currently not reimbursed through Medicare (although hopefully that changes soon!).

What is Hypoglycemia? A blood sugar level of under 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/l) is typically considered hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and can result in irritability, confusion, and even seizures and unconsciousness for extreme lows. To correct hypoglycemia, patients commonly use fast-acting carbohydrates to bring their blood sugar back to normal. In extreme cases, a glucagon injection pen can be used. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hypoglycemia are:

• Early signs and symptoms: shakiness, dizziness, sweating, hunger, irritability or moodiness, anxiety or nervousness, and headache
• Nighttime symptoms: damp sheets or bed clothes due to perspiration, nightmares, tiredness, and irritability or confusion upon waking
• Severe symptoms: clumsiness or jerky movements, muscle weakness, difficulty speaking or slurred speech, blurry or double vision, drowsiness, confusion, convulsions or seizures, and unconsciousness

What is Hyperglycemia?  A blood glucose level of over 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/l) is considered hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and can result in nausea, fatigue, and eventually lead to long-term complications. To correct hyperglycemia, patients commonly use a dose of rapid-acting insulin. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hyperglycemia are:

• Early signs and symptoms: frequent urination, increased thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, and headache
• Later signs and symptoms: fruity-smelling breath, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, dry mouth, weakness, confusion, coma, and abdominal pain

What are the Complications of Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes increases the risk of developing several medical complications. The risk of these complications decreases with better blood sugar control. Diabetes complications include:

• Heart and blood vessel problems
• Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Foot damage and amputation
• Pregnancy complications
• Depression or diabetes distress

Does Having Type 1 Diabetes Affect My Life Expectancy? According to the JDRF, some research shows that in the absence of kidney damage, the life expectancy in people with type 1 diabetes is no different than in the general population. The literature on life expectancy in type 1 diabetes is sparse, but studies show a positive trend, due in part to advancements in therapies and technologies. A recent study published in 2012 found that people with type 1 diabetes diagnosed between 1965-1980 had a life expectancy of 69 - a major improvement compared to those diagnosed between 1950-1964, who had an average life expectancy of 53 years. However, there is still much to be done in ensuring that all patients have access to appropriate healthcare and treatments, and take care of themselves correctly, so their life expectancy becomes similar to the general population. 

Type 2 Diabetes

Whether you have type 2 diabetes, are a caregiver or loved one of a person with type 2 diabetes, or just want to learn more, the following page provides an overview of type 2 diabetes.

New to type 2 diabetes? Check out “Starting Point: Type 2 Diabetes Basics” below, which answers some of the basic questions about type 2 diabetes: what is type 2 diabetes, what are its symptoms, how is it treated, and many more!

Want to learn a bit more? See our “Helpful Links” page below, which provides links to diaTribe articles focused on type 2 diabetes. These pages provide helpful tips for living with type 2 diabetes, drug and device overviews, information about diabetes complications, nutrition and food resources, and some extra pages we hope you’ll find useful!

What is type 2 diabetes and prediabetes? Behind type 2 diabetes is a disease where the body’s cells have trouble responding to insulin – this is called insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone needed to store the energy found in food into the body’s cells. In prediabetes, insulin resistance starts growing and the beta cells in the pancreas that release insulin will try to make even more insulin to make up for the body’s insensitivity. This can go on for a long time without any symptoms. Over time, though, the beta cells in the pancreas will fatigue and will no longer be able to produce enough insulin – this is called “beta burnout.” Once there is not enough insulin, blood sugars will start to rise above normal. Prediabetes causes people to have higher-than-normal blood sugars (and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke). Left unnoticed or untreated, blood sugars continue to worsen and many people progress to type 2 diabetes. After a while, so many of the beta cells have been damaged that diabetes becomes an irreversible condition. 

See: How is type 2 diabetes diagnosed?

Is type 2 diabetes serious? Type 2 diabetes is not a death sentence, but it is a very serious disease that demands attention and careful monitoring. There is no such thing as ‘mild’ diabetes. Elevated glucose levels can damage the nervous system, blood vessels, eyes, heart, and kidneys. These complications really impact quality of life (through blindness, amputations, dialysis etc). They also significantly increase the chance of a stroke or heart attack. Managing blood glucose levels immediately, along with other health risk factors (e.g., cholesterol, blood pressure, weight), is necessary for preventing these complications. Losing even a small amount of weight and keeping it off can also improve glucose control as well as have other clinical benefits (read more tips on managing diet and exercise below for more on weight loss). Keep in mind that better diabetes management also has benefits in the here and now – mood and energy levels are adversely affected when your glucose levels are high. 

See: What are the complications of type 2 diabetes?

What does the research say about proactive type 2 diabetes management? Research shows that proactive management can pay off in fewer complications down the road. In the landmark UKPDS study, 5,102 patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were followed for an average of 10 years to determine whether intensive use of blood glucose-lowering drugs would result in health benefits. Tighter average glucose control (an A1c of 7.0% vs. an A1c of 7.9%) reduced the rate of complications in the eyes, kidneys, and nervous system, by 25%. For every percentage point decrease in A1c (e.g., from 9% to 8%), there was a 25% reduction in diabetes-related deaths, and an 18% reduction in combined fatal and nonfatal heart attacks.

Can type 2 diabetes be prevented? It is possible to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, although the underlying risk of type 2 diabetes depends strongly on genetic factors. But there was less type 2 diabetes around some years ago when people had a more active life and didn’t eat a modern Western diet. So it is fair to say that risk of getting type 2 diabetes is based on a genetic predisposition that is aggravated by lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity, as well as a variety of environmental factors. To lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (as well as other diseases), it is highly recommended to exercise often, eat healthily, and maintain a healthy weight. 

Is it your fault for getting type 2 diabetes? No – type 2 diabetes is not a personal failing. It develops through a combination of factors that are still being uncovered and better understood. Lifestyle (food, exercise, stress, sleep) certainly plays a major role, but genetics play a significant role as well. Type 2 diabetes is often described in the media as a result of being overweight, but the relationship is not that simple. Many overweight individuals never get type 2, and some people with type 2 were never overweight, (although obesity is probably an underlying cause of insulin resistance). To make matters worse, when someone gains weight (for whatever reason), the body makes it extremely difficult to lose the new weight and keep it off. If it were just a matter of choice or a bit of willpower, we would probably all be skinny. At its core, type 2 involves two physiological issues: resistance to the insulin made by the person’s beta cells and too little insulin production relative to the amount one needs.

Who is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes? There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Those who may have elevated risk of developing the disease include:

• People with family members who have type 2 diabetes (see below)
• People that are overweight or obese
• Members of ethnic minority groups (Hispanic, Black, Native American, and Asian)
• People who are aged 40 or older
• People who are physically inactive
• People with high blood pressure and/or cholesterol

According to the American Diabetes Association, a child has a 1 in 7 risk of getting type 2 diabetes if his/her parent was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 50, and a 1 in 13 risk of developing it if the parent was diagnosed after the age of 50. To see if you may be at risk for diabetes, consider taking this short and simple Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test from the ADA.

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes? Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often appear slowly, meaning that many people with the disease may not know they have it for years. According to the American Diabetes Association, the common symptoms of type 2 diabetes are:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry - even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet

How is it diagnosed? According to the ADA, diabetes can be diagnosed through any one of the following tests:

1. A glycated hemoglobin test, which is commonly referred to as an HbA1c, or simply A1c, test. This test measures the body’s average blood sugar levels from the past 3 months. An A1c of 6.5% or higher is considered a diagnosis of diabetes, 5.7% to 6.4% is considered prediabetes, and an A1c of under 5.7% is considered normal.
2. A fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, which measures the body's glucose level after fasting (no caloric intake) for eight hours. An FPG result of 126 mg/dl or greater indicates a positive diagnosis of diabetes.
3. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which measures the body's blood glucose level two hours after the intake of 75-grams of glucose. An OGTT result of 200 mg/dl or greater indicates a positive diagnosis of diabetes.
4. In someone with classic symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), a random plasma glucose test with a result of 200 mg/dl or greater indicates a positive diagnosis of diabetes.

How is it treated? There is no uniform therapy for type 2 diabetes treatment, which depends on the individual person and his or her stage of type 2 diabetes. To learn more about individualization of therapy, please read our patient guide. That said, the ADA and EASD have created treatment recommendation guidelines for type 2 diabetes progression. In all cases, healthy eating, exercise, and weight management are key to effective type 2 diabetes management. As type 2 diabetes progresses, patients may need to add one or more drugs to their treatment regimen.

A study in a leading journal found that metformin is the most effective first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. Patients may also use other drugs such as GLP-1 agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors, TZDs, sulfonylureas, or insulin to help manage their blood sugar.

What is hyperglycemia?  A blood glucose level of over 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/l) is considered hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). To correct hyperglycemia, patients commonly use a dose of rapid-acting insulin. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hyperglycemia are:

• Early signs and symptoms: frequent urination, increased thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, and headache
• Later signs and symptoms: fruity-smelling breath, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, dry mouth, weakness, confusion, coma, and abdominal pain

What is hypoglycemia? A blood sugar level of under 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/l) is typically considered hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and can result in irritability, confusion, seizures, and even unconsciousness for extreme lows. To correct hypoglycemia, patients commonly use fast-acting carbohydrates. In extreme cases of severe hypoglycemia, a glucagon injection pen can be used. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hypoglycemia are:

• Early signs and symptoms: shakiness, dizziness, sweating, hunger, irritability or moodiness, anxiety or nervousness, and headache

• Nighttime symptoms: damp sheets or bed clothes due to perspiration, nightmares, tiredness, and irritability or confusion upon waking
• Severe symptoms: clumsiness or jerky movements, muscle weakness, difficulty speaking or slurred speech, blurry or double vision, drowsiness, confusion, convulsions or seizures, and unconsciousness

What are the complications of type 2 diabetes? High blood sugar levels associated with type 2 diabetes increases the risk of developing several medical complications. These can include:

• Heart and blood vessel problems
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Foot damage and amputation
• Pregnancy complications
• Depression or diabetes distress

How does type 2 diabetes progress over time? Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, meaning that the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar gets worse over time, despite careful management. Over time, the body’s cells become increasingly less responsive to insulin (increased insulin resistance) and beta cells in the pancreas produce less and less insulin (called beta-cell burnout). In fact, when people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, they usually have already lost up to 50% or more of their beta cell function. As type 2 diabetes progresses, people typically need to add one or more different types of medications. The good news is that there are many more choices available for treatments, and a number of these medications don’t cause as much hypoglycemia, hunger and/or weight gain (e.g., metformin, pioglitazone, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, and better insulin). Diligent management early on can help preserve remaining beta cell function and sometimes slow progression of the disease, although the need to use more and different types of medications does not mean that you have failed.

Can type 2 diabetes be cured? In the early stages of type 2 diabetes, it is possible to manage the diabetes to a level where symptoms go away and A1c reaches a normal level – this effectively “reverses” the progression of type 2 diabetes. According to research from Newcastle University, major weight loss can return insulin secretion to normal in people who had type 2 diabetes for four years or less. Indeed, it is commonly believed that significant weight loss and building muscle mass is the best way to reverse type 2 diabetes progression. However, it is important to note that reversing diabetes progression is not the same as curing type 2 diabetes – people still need to monitor their weight, diet, and exercise to ensure that type 2 diabetes does not progress. For many people who have had type 2 diabetes for a longer time, the damage to the beta cells progresses to the point at which it will never again be possible to make enough insulin to correctly control blood glucose, even with dramatic weight loss. But even in these people, weight loss is likely the best way to reduce the threat of complications.

Does having type 2 diabetes affect life expectancy? While continued improvements in therapies and care for type 2 diabetes may be helping patients live longer, the unfortunate reality is that type 2 diabetes has been shown to decrease life expectancy by up to ten years, according to Diabetes UK. There is still much to be done to ensure that all patients have access to appropriate healthcare and treatments to live a happier and healthier life with type 2 diabetes.