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Summary
Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much glucose stays in your blood. Over time, high blood glucose can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth.
You have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you are older, have obesity, have a family history of diabetes, or do not exercise. Having prediabetes also increases your risk. Prediabetes means that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you may be able to delay or prevent developing it by making some lifestyle changes.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear slowly. Some people do not notice symptoms at all. The symptoms can include
- Being very thirsty
- Urinating often
- Feeling very hungry or tired
- Losing weight without trying
- Having sores that heal slowly
- Having blurry eyesight
Blood tests can show if you have diabetes. One type of test, the A1C, can also check on how you are managing your diabetes. Many people can manage their diabetes through healthy eating, physical activity, and blood glucose testing. Some people also need to take diabetes medicines.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
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A1C: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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Comparing Tests for Diabetes and Prediabetes: A Quick Reference Guide
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Diagnosis of Diabetes and Prediabetes
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
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Ketones in Blood
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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Ketones in Urine
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Microalbumin Test (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- All about Your Risk for Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Heart Disease (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
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Family Health History and Diabetes
(National Diabetes Education Program)
- Find a Diabetes Prevention Program Near You (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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How to Prevent Diabetes: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
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Diabetes and Dietary Supplements
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in Spanish
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Diabetes Medicines: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: Treatment (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
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Women and Diabetes -- Diabetes Medicines
(Food and Drug Administration)
Living With
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4 Steps to Manage Your Diabetes for Life
(National Diabetes Education Program) Also in Spanish
- Anger (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
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Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - PDF
- Checking for Ketones (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: Alcohol, Exercise, and Medical Care (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
-
Diabetic Diet: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Getting the Very Best Care for Your Diabetes (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
- Monitoring (American Association of Diabetes Educators)
- Stress (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
- Taking Care of Type 2 Diabetes (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diet (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
- Weight Loss (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
- Where Do I Begin with Type 2? (American Diabetes Association)
- Your First Visit (to a Doctor) (American Diabetes Association)
Related Issues
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6 Things to Know about Type 2 Diabetes and Dietary Supplements
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Acanthosis Nigricans (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Causes of Diabetes
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
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Diabetes Diet, Eating, & Physical Activity
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Diabetes Myths (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
- Monogenic Diabetes (Hormone Health Network) - PDF Also in Spanish
- National Diabetes Prevention Program (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Prediabetes:MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Speak Up -- Diabetes: Five Ways to Be Active in Your Care at the Hospital (Joint Commission) - PDF Also in Spanish
- When You're Sick (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
- Your Health Care Team (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- All about Insulin Resistance (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: type 2 diabetes
(National Library of Medicine)
- Genetics of Diabetes (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
Videos and Tutorials
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Diabetes Movie (For Parents)
(Nemours Foundation)
Statistics and Research
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Diabetes in America, 3rd Edition (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Early Puberty Linked to Higher Type 2 Diabetes Risk (American Diabetes Association)
- Recent Advances (in Diabetes Research) (American Diabetes Association)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Association of Genetic Variants Related to Gluteofemoral vs Abdominal Fat...
- Article: Association between thermal threshold abnormalities and peripheral artery disease in...
- Article: PRISMA-efficacy and safety of lixisenatide for type 2 diabetes mellitus:...
- Diabetes Type 2 -- see more articles
Reference Desk
- Diabetes: Glossary of Terms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Find an Expert
- American Diabetes Association
- Find a Diabetes Educator (American Association of Diabetes Educators)
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National Diabetes Education Program
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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NIDDK Information Clearinghouses
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Women
- Diabetes Fact Sheet (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
- Women and Diabetes: Frequently Asked Questions (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
- Women at High Risk for Diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Seniors
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Diabetes in Older People
(National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish
- Diabetes: Unique to Older Adults (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
Patient Handouts
- A1C test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Diabetes type 2 - meal planning (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Giving an insulin injection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- High blood sugar - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Type 2 diabetes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Type 2 diabetes - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish