An Overview of Type II Diabetes (Non-Insulin-Dependent)

Type II (or non-insulin-dependent) diabetes is milder than the insulin-dependent type. Type II diabetes is typically a disorder of middle and old age, striking those primarily over the age of 40. As obesity has became rampant, Type II diabetes, to which obesity's make job contributor, has become more prevalent, especially at earlier ages. Many children and adolescents are now type II diabetics. This type of diabetes is increasing at astronomical rates.

A good deal is known about the mechanisms that trigger Type II diabetes. Glucose metabolism involves a delicate balance between insulin production and insulin responsiveness. As food is digested, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood, where it travels to the liver and other organs. Rising levels of glucose in the blood trigger the pancreas to secrete insulin into the blood stream. When this balance goes away, it sets the stage for Type II diabetes.

First, cells in muscle, fat, and liver lose some of their ability to respond fully to insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance, in response to insulin resistance, the pancreases temporarily increase its production of insulin. At this point, insulin-producing cells may give out, with the result that insulin production falls, and the balance between insulin action and insulin secretion becomes deregulated, resulting in Type II diabetes. The symptoms include frequent urination; fatigue, dryness of the mouth, impotence, irregular menstruation, loss of sensation, frequent infection of the skin, gums, or urinary system, pain or cramps in legs, feet or fingers, show healing of cuts and bruises, and intense itching and drowsiness.

The majority of Type II diabetes are overweight (90%), and Type II diabetes is more common in women and individuals of low socioeconomic status. Type II diabetes is heavily a disorder of aging. More than 17% of people 65 or older have diabetes, compared with 1.2% among those 20 to 64. Diabetes strikes the minority communities in the United States especially heavily. African Americans are 1.7 times as likely to develop diabetes as Whites, and Hispanic Americans are nearly twice as likely. In some Native American tribes, 50% of the population has diabetes. Type II diabetes is on the increase because of an increase in the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, both of which are rich factors for the development of the disorder.

You are at risk if:
• you are overweight
• you get little exercise
• you have high blood pressure
• you have sibling or parent with diabetes
• you had a baby weighing over 9 pounds at birth
• you are a member of a high-risk ethnic group, which includes African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2