For centuries, if not millennia, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) has been recognized under the medical term Diabetes Mellitus. The UN agency World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the frequency of T2D has been rising quickly and that the number of individuals with the disease has increased four times since 1980. The fact that T2D rises more quickly in places with rising incomes and living standards is an intriguing and probably crucial finding. By 2030, according to the WHO, T2D will rank as the seventh most common cause of death.1. Furthermore, according to the WHO, diabetes is a major risk factor for heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and amputation of the foot or limb. Nevertheless, type 2 diabetes is curable, controllable, and, in certain cases, potentially reversible!
The Fundamentals
Insulin resistance in body cells appears to be the initial “step” in the development of type 2 diabetes.2. Insulin resistance is a disorder in which the body’s cells do not react to insulin as well. Normally, insulin signals the cells to take up glucose from the blood, but in this condition, the cells often disregard this signal. As the number of insulin-resistant cells increases, blood sugar levels rise and the pancreas tries to counteract the effect. This is the pre-diabetic stage. The final outcome is T2D with high blood sugar levels and the harm that high blood sugar levels can do to the body’s blood vessels and neurons, perhaps after years of insulin resistance and prediabetes.
T2D causes
This is a complex subject because there are several factors that are known to be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and they may have varying effects on various individuals. Along with dietary, nutritional, and physical activity aspects, there are also hereditary and environmental influences. For any one of these, there may be a different significance for every individual. For instance, when diagnosed with T2D, Asians typically have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than do people of African or Hispanic heritage. More African Americans than other diagnosed T2D populations typically experience issues with hypertension. However, we do know that maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, which includes regular exercise, coupled with eating a diet low in processed and industrially manufactured foods, dramatically reduces the risk that anybody will acquire type 2 diabetes.
Environmental Factors and Genetics
Differently ethnically oriented people are more likely to have T2D. People of African, Hispanic, Native American, and some Asian descent are among these groupings. Your weight or propensity to become obese is influenced by your genetics and is another risk factor for type 2 diabetes. There is an elevated risk for anyone who has a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes.1, 2 Environmental factors—which are thought to be potentially significant in the development of type 2 diabetes—that frequently affect the propensity to become obese include:3
- Chemicals known as “endocrine disruptors” can interfere with a person’s hormones. The majority are man-made, although some can be found in nature. These are ubiquitous in our surroundings and comprise compounds like dioxins, bisphenol A (BPA), phytoestrogens, and phthalates (pronounced thalates).
- Many people either don’t get enough sleep or don’t sleep well enough, which is detrimental to their health. Research suggests that one factor contributing to the onset of T2D is the disruption of a regular sleep pattern.4
- Around the world, there has been a decline in physical activity, partly because of labor-saving technologies and other social and economic issues. Adults are frequently constrained by their work schedules and cannot—or feel they cannot—take time out for physical activity, while children are frequently excluded from free play periods.
- Western diets and nutrition. Research has shown that obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) rates increase as a society adopts the industrialized eating patterns of the Western World, also known as the “Nutrition Transition.”5. This could be partly explained by the fact that many processed meals contain added sugar(s) and that processing results in a major loss of nutrients. According to a recent study, phthalates are present in a lot of fast food items.Six Many people try to cut back on sugar by switching to diet sodas or soft drinks, but studies show that artificial sweeteners change gut flora, which can raise the risk of diabetes.7.
T2D symptoms
The traditional definition of symptoms of type 2 diabetes includes increased thirst, increased urine, unexplained weight loss, and increased appetite. However, they are typically symptoms that appear later. In the early stages, there are only two ways to find out if you have a high chance of developing diabetes:
- A fasting plasma glucose (sugar) level of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or higher. When fasting blood sugar is measured and it falls between 100 and 126 mg/dL, prediabetes is identified. You should avoid drinking any water for 12 hours before to the test.
OR
An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with a 2-hour plasma sugar (glucose) level of more than or equal to 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L). A diagnosis of prediabetes is made if the OGTT falls between 141 and 199 mg/dL.
OR
A1c values. The A1c must be between 5.7% and less than 6.5% to be diagnosed as prediabetes. When the A1c is more than or equal to 6.5%, type 2 diabetes is diagnosed. The A1c level is frequently used to track how successfully a person manages their blood sugar. One type of hemoglobin—one with sugar molecules attached—is measured by the A1c test. This test provides a three-month “snapshot” of blood sugar control because hemoglobin-containing red blood cells have an average lifespan of three months and the proportion of hemoglobin that carries sugars indicates the amount of sugar in the blood.
T2D complications
Since sugar is the primary energy source for cells, disruptions in sugar management can affect almost every organ in the body. This is how one can conceptualize the problems of type 2 diabetes (T2D), a chronic illness of sugar regulation. Furthermore, excessive sugar intake may directly poison blood vessels and neurons.8 The primary drawbacks of consist of:
- Cardiovascular illness includes high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease (a condition affecting the blood vessels that supply the heart), stroke, and the risk of heart attacks.
- nerve damage, or neuropathy, that primarily affects a person with type 2 diabetes’s legs and feet. The hands and fingers may also experience tingling, numbness, and pain. In men, erectile dysfunction may result from nerve injury.
- Nephropathy, or injury to the kidney, is caused by the kidney’s millions of microscopic filtering units, or nephrons. It is thought that these nephrons are harmed by the high glucose levels that pass through the kidneys, resulting in renal damage and maybe renal failure.
- Retinopathy, or damage to the retina, can happen together with a higher chance of cataracts and glaucoma.
- Skin and foot issues are frequently brought on by inadequate healing and an increased risk of infections.
- There is a connection between T2D and hearing loss.
- a higher chance of Alzheimer’s disease, however it’s unclear how T2D and Alzheimer’s disease are related.
T2D treatment
T2D treatment typically uses, at the very least, a “triad” of strategies. This trio consisted of prescription drugs, a healthy diet and nutrition, and more exercise. It is probable that you will be keeping an eye on your own blood sugar levels to ensure that they are well managed.
- Medications:
Many different drugs may be utilized; these are referred to as hypoglycemic agents as a class. These drugs can lower the amount of sugar absorbed from your meal, raise urine excretion of sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and regulate blood sugar levels in various ways. Often, a variety of drugs combined with different methods of blood sugar control are prescribed. Insulin is also needed by some T2D. Metformin, Pioglitazone, Glyburide, Rosiglitazone, Sitagliptin, Glipizide, Acarbose, Glimepiride, and Saxagliptin monohydrate are a few of these drugs. To have the best blood sugar control possible, these can be used in conjunction. If necessary, insulin can be administered via injection or an insulin pen.
- Nutrition and Diet:
While there are several diets designed to regulate diabetes, a mix of entire foods—such as whole grains, beans, lentils, and vegetables—that are high in minerals, protein, and healthy fats—particularly omega-3 fats—produces the best outcomes. Lean meats, seafood, and some dairy products can also provide high-quality protein. A diet high in complex carbs and zero added sugar should be followed; this is easiest to do by adhering to unprocessed foods such brown rice, whole grains, beans, lentils, and vegetables. There’s also fresh fruit. Sugars are released from complex carbs more gradually and under control. As a tool, you can also use the glycemic index or carb counting. A few helpful “rules of thumb” are to consume a range of colored fruits, berries, and vegetables, and to avoid “white” foods (which are processed foods like white bread, white rice, and pasta). You can get the necessary healthy fats from nuts and seeds in your diet.
- Exercise:
Walking the dog, parking farther away from a store door, or simply walking around the block every day can all be easy ways to start increasing your level of physical activity. It is advisable to begin cautiously and gradually increase your level of activity if you are carrying excess weight. It doesn’t have to be a team sport or even a gym to find something you enjoy and will continue with. Just choose something that will keep you active and stimulate your blood flow.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes
T2D is treatable and controllable. Even though receiving a T2D diagnosis might be emotionally taxing, you should attempt to keep in mind that you have considerable control over your diabetes. Being proactive about the illness may be quite powerful. You have every opportunity of living life to the fullest if you manage your blood sugar and make the required dietary and activity adjustments. Although it requires understanding, perseverance, and dedication, it is possible!
Citations
- http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/
- http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/53/suppl_3/S16.full
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769972/
- Knutson KL, Van Cauter E. Associations between sleep loss and increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008;1129:287–304
- http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/6/1249.full
- http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/15/health/fast-food-phthalates-endocrine-disruptors/
- http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/nature13793.html
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738809/