Insulin and type 2 diabetes (2024)

FAQs

Insulin and type 2 diabetes? ›

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes? Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy. If you have type 2 diabetes, cells don't respond normally to insulin; this is called insulin resistance.

Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are not physically active and are overweight or have obesity. Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes. The location of body fat also makes a difference.

Sometimes, people with type 2 diabetes also need to begin using insulin when diet, physical activity and tablets no longer effectively control their blood glucose levels.

Insulin is used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes because the insulin your body makes either is not working properly, which is called insulin resistance, or in some cases insulin resistance means the pancreas initially produces more and more insulin to help, but over time the pancreas can become worn out and start to ...

They estimate that among 50-year-olds, life expectancy of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 30 is 14 years shorter than that of their peers without diabetes. Among those diagnosed at age 50, life expectancy is 6 years shorter.

There's no cure for diabetes and no way to completely get rid of it. However, diabetes can be reversed in most people. Reversing diabetes means carefully managing blood sugars to a point where medications are no longer necessary, and staying at that manageable point through a healthy routine of diet and exercise.

Eating too much sugar is not linked to type 1 diabetes, and it doesn't directly cause type 2 diabetes — but it can increase your risk of developing it. Studies have shown that people who regularly consume drinks that contain added sucrose and fructose, like soda, have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The algorithms and guidelines of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Diabetes Association recommend that insulin administration be strongly considered for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with HbA1c levels exceeding 9.0% and 10%, respectively.

Most people who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes begin initial treatment with a combination of diet, exercise, and an oral (pill or tablet) medication. Over time, some people will need to add insulin or another injectable medication because their blood sugar levels are not well managed with oral medication.

If you still feel strongly about trying to get off insulin, talk to the doctor managing your diabetes about trying to slowly taper off insulin, going down one or two units a day every week or so. Don't try this without talking with your doctor; he or she would need to monitor your sugars carefully during the process.

What happens if a type 2 diabetic doesn't eat? ›

If you don't eat, your blood sugar levels are lower and medication may drop them even more, which can lead to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can cause you to feel shaky, pass out, or even go into a coma. When you “break” your fast by eating, you may also be more likely to develop too-high blood sugar levels.

Basal insulin is usually started at a low dose (10 to 20 units) and then increased gradually to determine the right dose for an individual. Using a combination of treatments (ie, an oral medication plus insulin) generally lowers the dose of insulin compared with taking insulin only.

However, many people with type 2 diabetes find it challenging to reach their blood sugar goals through diet and exercise alone2. On May 13, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a unique, first-in-class medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, known as tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

The metabolic disease can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, and other medical problems, and is often severe enough to shave years off the lifespan. But trim, white-haired Bob Krause, who turned 90 last week, is still going strong. The San Diego resident is believed to be the oldest diabetic ever.

The strongest evidence we have at the moment suggests that type 2 diabetes is mainly put into remission by weight loss. Remission is more likely if you lose weight as soon as possible after your diabetes diagnosis. However, we do know of people who have put their diabetes into remission decades after diagnosis.

What is end-stage diabetes? While “end-stage diabetes” isn't a commonly used term, diabetes can lead to what's known as end-stage diabetic complications, or advanced complications. In people with diabetes, advanced complications, like end-stage renal disease, occur after many years of living with diabetes.

The accumulation of an excessive amount of body fat can cause type 2 diabetes, and the risk of type 2 diabetes increases linearly with an increase in body mass index.