Facts about Type 2 Diabetes

What is diabetes?
Over 18 million people in the United States have diabetes. Diabetes means that your blood glucose (often called blood sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it, because your body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. But too much glucose in the blood isn't good for your health.

Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your liver and muscles. Your blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body. Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the pancreas. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into your cells. If your body doesn't make enough insulin, or if the insulin doesn't make enough insulin, or if the insulin doesn't work the way it should, glucose can't get into your cells. It stays in your blood instead. Your blood glucose level then gets too high, causing pre-diabetes or diabetes.

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90% to 95% of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of diabetes during pregnancy, physical inactivity, and ethnicity, for example, African Americans, Native Americans, or Hispanic Americans.

Why should I control my diabetes?
Diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body. The disease often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Experts say most people with diabetes should try to keep their blood glucose level as close as possible to the level of someone who doesn't have diabetes. The closer to normal your blood glucose is, the lower your chances of developing damage to your eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

What is the HbA1c (A1C) test?
To see what your overall blood glucose was for the past three months, your doctor can order an A1C test. Ask your doctor what your A1C test showed. A test result of under 7 usually means that your diabetes treatment is working well and your blood glucose is under control. If your A1C is 8 or above, it means that your blood glucose may be too high. If your glucose is too high, you'll have a greater risk of getting diabetes problems, such as kidney damage.

How is type 2 diabetes treated?
Healthy eating, exercise, and losing weight may help you lower your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) when you find out you have type 2 diabetes. If these treatments do not work, you may need one or more types of diabetes medicine to lower your blood glucose, such as pills or insulin shots. Pills for diabetes include sulfonylureas (SUL-fah-nil-YOO-ree-ahs), biguanides (by-GWAN-ides), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones (THIGH-ah-ZO-li-deen-DYE-owns), meglitinides (meh-GLIT-in-ides), and D-phenylalanine (dee-fen-nel-AL-ah-neen) derivatives. Each of these medicines helps to lower blood glucose in a different way. Sometimes different medicines are combined into one pill. Another treatment option is the injectable medicine Byetta (exenatide). Byetta is used with metformin, a sulfonylurea, or a combination of both medicines, in patients with type 2 diabetes who need more help controlling their blood glucose.

This information is provided as reference material and is based in part on information derived from third parties. I.U.O.E. Local 132 does not assume any liability for the accuracy or completeness of any third-party material noted on this page.