Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset or noninsulindependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. People who are overweight and inactive are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Treatment includes taking diabetes medicines, making wise food choices, exercising regularly, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, and taking aspirin daily—for some.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a common metabolic condition that develops when the body fails to produce enough insulin or when insulin fails to work properly, which is referred to as insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormone that stimulates cells to uptake glucose from the blood to use for energy.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Pathophysiology

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

Type 2 Diabetes Screening and Prevention

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

Living With Type 2 Diabetes

Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes

Is a Plant-Based Diet Good for Type 2 Diabetes?

Are Low Carbohydrate Diets Good for Type 2 Diabetes?

What is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin Resistance Pathophysiology

See more featured articles »

Causes of Insulin Resistance

Insulin Resistance Treatment

Insulin Resistance Diagnosis

Insulin Resistance Symptoms

Insulin Resistance and Parkinson's Disease

Does the Keto Diet Increase the Risk of Diabetes?

The Risks of Prediabetes

What is Diabetes?

Fibromyalgia and Diabetes

Diabetes in Men versus Women

Insulin Medication

Latest Type 2 Diabetes News and Research

New research on COVID-19 and aging

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that genetic factors, chronic disease, and biological aging define the relationship between aging and the severity of COVID-19.

11 Aug 2020

Whole grain labels on food packaging are confusing to consumers, could lead to fewer healthy choices

Whole grain labels on cereal, bread, and crackers are confusing to consumers and could cause them to make fewer healthy choices, according to the results of a study that tested whether people are able pick out the healthier, whole grain option based on food package labels.

10 Aug 2020

Non-fasting blood test can help accurately identify youth at risk for diabetes and related risks

A simple blood test that does not require overnight fasting has been found to be an accurate screening tool for identifying youth at risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease risk later in life, according to a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

10 Aug 2020

New articles focus on recent developments in the field of health preference research

Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR-;the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, announced today the publication of a series of articles focused on recent developments in the field of health preference research.

10 Aug 2020

Scientists explore mechanisms involved in the development of liver disease

Metabolic fatty liver disease, known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is one of the most common causes of liver disease in Western countries and covers a spectrum of disorders.

6 Aug 2020

Researchers discover how to activate brown fat in humans

The receptor responsible for activating the energy-burning property of brown fat in humans has been identified.

5 Aug 2020

Adults with rheumatoid arthritis have lower type 2 diabetes risk

A recent analysis of a US commercial insurance database found that adults with rheumatoid arthritis had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than other individuals, including those with other types of arthritis.

5 Aug 2020

Disruptions to lipid metabolism after childbirth predict future diabetes risk

Scientists have found that disruptions to the metabolism of lipids occur after childbirth in women with gestational diabetes who go on to develop type 2 diabetes.

4 Aug 2020

Researchers identify differences in clinical features of non-obese patients with NAFLD

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba identify differences in the clinical features of non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatter liver disease based on their sex and body mass index.

2 Aug 2020

New program to reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes and beat COVID-19

The Diabetes Reversal Company has developed a pioneering programme based on weight loss, lifestyle change and one-to-one clinical support to reduce and reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes, helping deliver the goals in the Government’s newly published National Obesity Strategy.

30 Jul 2020

Aerobic exercise may be more important for improvement in patients with fatty liver diseases

A new study from Trinity College Dublin highlights that fitness may be a more important clinical endpoint for improvement in patients with fatty liver diseases during exercise trials, rather than weight loss.

29 Jul 2020

Study examines the prevalence and volume of foods that contain nonnutritive sweeteners

A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by Elsevier, found that between 2002 and 2018 purchases by US households of foods and beverages containing caloric sweetener (CS, i.e., sugar) declined while purchases of products containing both caloric sugars and nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS, i.e., sugar substitutes) increased.

29 Jul 2020

Novel drug candidate offers a major advance in the treatment for diabetes

The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Southern Research have discovered a new drug candidate that offers a major advance in the treatment for diabetes.

28 Jul 2020

Human genome may explain the neonatal origins of chronic immune and inflammatory diseases

A study published in the journal Nature Communications has pinpointed a number of areas of the human genome that may help explain the neonatal origins of chronic immune and inflammatory diseases of later life, including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and coeliac disease.

28 Jul 2020

Lower BMI does not protect smokers from fat-associated health risks, shows study

Some smokers might rationalize continuing to smoke because of lower body weight often associated with the habit.

28 Jul 2020

Low plasma vitamin D level appears to be an independent risk factor for COVID-19 infection

Vitamin D is recognized as an important co-factor in several physiological processes linked with bone and calcium metabolism, and also in diverse non-skeletal outcomes, including autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cognitive decline, and infections.

27 Jul 2020

Gene in fat cells plays a key role in regulating insulin sensitivity

Deleting a key gene in mice in just their fat made tissues throughout these animals insulin resistant, in addition to other effects, a new study by UT Southwestern researchers shows.

23 Jul 2020

Study: Plant-based diets rich in whole carbohydrates can improve insulin sensitivity

Plant-based diets rich in whole carbohydrates can improve insulin sensitivity and other health markers in individuals with type 1 diabetes, according to two case studies published by researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism.

23 Jul 2020

Early menstruation increases the chances of hot flushes and night sweats later at menopause

Early menstruation increases the likelihood of hot flushes and nights sweats decades later at menopause, according to a University of Queensland study.

22 Jul 2020

Autopsies reveal unexpected changes in the hearts of COVID-19 patients

A series of autopsies conducted by LSU Health New Orleans pathologists shows the damage to the hearts of COVID-19 patients is not the expected typical inflammation of the heart muscle associated with myocarditis, but rather a unique pattern of cell death in scattered individual heart muscle cells.

21 Jul 2020