Type 2 diabetes affects many major organs, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Having polycystic ovary syndrome - a condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity - increases the risk of diabetes. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is higher in people who had gestational diabetes when they were pregnant and in those who gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms). Left untreated, prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which the blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases with age, especially after age 35. An increased risk is associated with low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol - the 'good' cholesterol - and high levels of triglycerides.

Although it's unclear why, people of certain races and ethnicities - including Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian people, and Pacific Islanders - are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than white people are. An individual's risk of type 2 diabetes increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps control weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes cells more sensitive to insulin. The less active a person is, the greater the risk. The risk of type 2 diabetes is higher in men with a waist circumference above 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) and in women with a waist measurement above 35 inches (88.9 centimeters). Storing fat mainly in the abdomen - rather than the hips and thighs - indicates a greater risk. Being overweight or obese is a main risk. Risk factorsįactors that may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes include: Eventually the cells in the pancreas that make insulin become damaged and can't make enough insulin to meet the body's needs. As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas releases more insulin. Instead of moving into the cells, sugar builds up in the blood. In type 2 diabetes, this process doesn't work well.

When glucose levels are low, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose to keep the body's glucose level within a healthy range.

Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin.

Glucose comes from two major sources: food and the liver.

The use and regulation of glucose includes the following: Glucose - a sugar - is a main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues.

In response to this drop, the pancreas releases less insulin.

The amount of sugar in the bloodstream drops.

Insulin circulates in the bloodstream, enabling sugar to enter the cells.

Sugar in the bloodstream triggers the pancreas to release insulin.

Insulin controls how the body uses sugar in the following ways: Insulin is a hormone that comes from the pancreas - a gland located behind and below the stomach. Being overweight and inactive are key contributing factors.

The pancreas can't make enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range.Įxactly why this happens is not known.Cells in muscle, fat and the liver become resistant to insulin As a result, the cells don't take in enough sugar.Type 2 diabetes is mainly the result of two problems:

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