Diabetes Type 2 Support Group

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not make efficient use of it. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert food into glucose, a sugar that the body uses for energy. With Type 1 Diabetes, insulin is generally not produced in the body at all. Without enough insulin, glucose can accumulate in the blood, and can cause serious health problems such as heart disease and strokes and organ damage such as eye and kidney damage.

Causes of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes tends to run in families, but can develop in people no family history. Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, gestational diabetes (diabetes related to pregnancy), a high fat diet, a lack of exercise, and being overweight. While anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, it is more common among African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and Japanese Americans. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes rises after age 45, and rises still more after age 65.

Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Treatment for Type 2 diabetes often revolves around lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise for weight loss and cardiovascular health, and diet changes to ensure proper carbohydrate consumption to help with optimal glucose production. If glucose levels are too high at the time of diagnosis, however, the health care professional may prescribe medications such as Metformin and Byetta to help regulate glucose levels. Patients almost always manage their diabetes by checking glucose levels daily, or more often if recommended by a health care professional.

Type 2 Diabetes Resources and Support

No two patients are alike, and DailyStrength's online support groups provide an excellent avenue for chatting with others who have diabetes to discover a wide range of coping techniques that might work for you, and to get positive encouragement. You can also read all treatment reviews, post your own experiences in your wellness journal, and set goals for yourself such as keeping your triglycerides or blood pressure down, or changing specific things in your diet. Your DailyStrength friends can support you all along the way.

If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, you may want to look at these very informative resources from other sites, and discuss them in Daily Strengthís diabetes forums:

• Interactive tutorial on diabetes from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive Disorders and Kidneys
• Harvard School of Public Health's Diabetes page