A combination of genetic and lifestyle factors is the main cause of type 2 diabetes. While genetics play a back role in individuals for type 2 diabetes, lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity levels, and weight also significantly contribute to its development. The main cause is insulin resistance, where cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond as they should to insulin, and your pancreas can’t make enough insulin to overcome it, leading to type 2 diabetes.
What are the causes of type 2 diabetes?
Several factors can contribute to insulin resistance, which in turn develops type 2 diabetes. Genetics, advancing age due to the cumulative effects of poor lifestyle habits, excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen, physical inactivity, and sedentary lifestyles contribute to obesity and insulin resistance, as do regular consumption of saturated fats and highly processed, high-carbohydrate meals. Certain medications, like long-term corticosteroid use, hormonal disorders, like hypothyroidism and Cushing syndrome, chronic stress, and a lack of quality sleep.
What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
While these factors are at higher risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, it’s essential to note that the condition is complex and individual risk factors can vary.
Excess weight, especially abdominal fat, increases the risk significantly. Family history of having a close relative with type 2 diabetes, such as a parent or sibling, increases the risk. The risk increases with age, especially after 45 or the late 40’s. Plus, a higher risk of type 2 diabetes is linked to irregular physical activity. Diets high in processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats contribute to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Smokers have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-smokers.
Women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 4 kg are at increased risk of developing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Having hypertension or a history of heart disease increases the risk. Abnormal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
What is the treatment for type 2 diabetes?
Unlike many health conditions, type 2 diabetes requires consistent management of blood sugar levels under medical guidance and support from your healthcare team of endocrinologists (doctors who deal with hormones), registered dietitians, eye specialists, and dentists.
Your team should also include family members, as managing it can be challenging. You have to make several decisions every day for it, such as lifestyle changes like more exercise, walking and eating adjustments, blood sugar monitoring, and looking after medication. Unchecked vitals like these can be bad for health.
What are the complications of type 2 diabetes?
Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes leads to certain complications. The complications of type 2 diabetes are distinguished in terms of being acute and chronic. Acute complications are diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic coma, hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia. While the chronic complications of type 2 diabetes are macroangiopathy, which concerns serious heart and vascular lesions that lead to hypertension, artery narrowing, coronary artery disease, strokes, and erectile dysfunction in men.
Diabetic retinopathy causes a serious deterioration of vision, mainly due to damage to the vessels of the eye. It is the most common cause of blindness. Diabetic nephropathy, which may result in renal insufficiency.
Diabetic neuropathy occurs with sensory disturbances, muscle atrophy, walking difficulty, injuries with wound formation, and intense pain at the lower body areas. It is also responsible for tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, urinary incontinence, indigestion, nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Diabetic foot is a condition in which foot ulcers forms, which manifest with pain, sensory disorder, skin dryness, the development of calluses, and wounds often complicated by severe local infections, leading to the development of gangrene with amputation of the fingers.
It’s important to note that while these factors increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, they do not guarantee its onset. Conversely, individuals without these risk factors can still develop the condition, such as being prone to infections, myopathy, osteoporosis, arthropathies, and liver damage underscoring the importance of regular check-ups. Prevention and management strategies often involve a combination of healthy lifestyle choices and medication.
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