by John Titor, B.S. Computer Science & Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (2017)
Type 2 diabetes is a serious, long-term medical condition. It develops mostly in adults but is becoming more common in children as obesity rates rise across all age groups. Several factors contribute to type 2 diabetes. Being overweight or obese is the biggest risk factor.
Type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening. But if treated carefully, it can be managed or even reversed.
Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. When your blood sugar (glucose) levels rise, the pancreas releases insulin. This causes sugar to move from your blood to your cells, where it can be used as an energy source. As glucose levels in your blood go back down, your pancreas stops releasing insulin.
Type 2 diabetes impacts how you metabolize sugar. Either your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or your body has become resistant to its effects. This causes glucose to build up in the blood. This is called hyperglycemia.
There are several symptoms of untreated type 2 diabetes, including:
- excessive thirst and urination
- fatigue
- increased hunger
- weight loss, in spite of eating more
- infections that heal slowly
- blurry vision
- dark patches on the skin
Can you reverse type 2 diabetes?
Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes monitoring your blood sugar levels and using medications or insulin when needed. Doctors also recommend losing weight through diet and exercise. Some diabetes medications have weight loss as a side effect, which can also help reverse diabetes.
If you start eating healthier, get more exercise, and lose weight, you can reduce your symptoms. Research shows that these lifestyle changes, especially physical activity, can even reverse the course of the condition.
Studies that show the reversal of type 2 diabetes include participants who have lived with the condition for only a few years.
Weight loss is the primary factor in those who have experienced a reversal of type 2 diabetes. Excess fat in the body effects the production of insulin and how it’s used. Research has shown that bariatric surgery can reverse type 2 diabetes, and is one of the few ways to reverse diabetes for an extended period of time.
However, there are less drastic ways that you can lose weight and reduce your symptoms. A commitment to exercise and dietary changes may be all you need.
Here are some useful articles about whether diabetes can be ‘reversed’: Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
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