Type 2 Diabetes
What is type 2 diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which blood
glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have
problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is
broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by
the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the
hormone insulin, made in the pancreas, to help them process
blood glucose into energy.
People develop type 2 diabetes
because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use
insulin properly. Eventually, the pancreas cannot make
enough insulin for the body’s needs. As a result, the amount
of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are
starved of energy. Over the years, high blood glucose
damages nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications
such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease,
nerve problems, gum infections, and amputation.
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