The Truth About Type 2 Diabetes: Can it be cured?

The question that everyone is asking answered by our diabetes educator.

By Susan B. Sloane, BS, RPh, CDE

Diabetes is a chronic illness that can come in several forms. The main types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.  The majority of diabetes cases seen worldwide are of the type 2 variety.  Let us take a closer look at the evolution of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes usually presents with a gradual onset.  In fact, it can take upwards of 15 years before overt symptoms start to develop.¹  Type 2 diabetes may have some genetic component, but is not linked to genetics in the way type 1 diabetes is.  Type 2 diabetes is often the result of obesity and poor diet.  When the body composition consists of a lot of fatty tissue, the insulin that is secreted in response to food intake is not as effective as it should be. This is because the fat can cause a condition known as “insulin resistance”, making available insulin less effective than it should be.²  The pancreas, in turn, tries to pump out extra insulin to compensate, leading to a cycle that causes the pancreas to start burning out.  Insulin production is down, insulin resistance is up, and symptoms of diabetes begin to occur.

The symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, and weight loss, just to name a few.  Initial treatment of type 2 diabetes should always include lifestyle changes, where appropriate.  Examples of some important lifestyle changes include weight loss if necessary, smoking cessation treatment if a patient is a smoker and healthy eating. Exercise is also an important component of healthy living, and helps control blood sugars by allowing insulin to work more efficiently.³

Pharmacologic treatment options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes are numerous, but generally start with metformin. ⁴  As stated above, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, which means that in many cases, insulin production by the pancreas becomes less and less effective over time.  This is why some type 2 patients with diabetes get treated with insulin at some point in their treatment plan.  Some providers start a treatment plan using a small dose of long-acting insulin daily because some schools of thought believe this will prevent further damage to the insulin producing cells of the pancreas, or at least delay damage.⁵

Because type 2 diabetes has a gradual onset, blood sugars can start to rise before overt symptoms occur.  The danger here is that side effects of high blood sugar such as potential nerve damage, known as neuropathy or other complications of diabetes can present before diabetes symptoms even occur.  You can see why it is important to get screened for diabetes when you see your doctor, especially if you are over 40 years old and have a family history of diabetes.  A simple blood test can see if you are in the beginning stages of diabetes before any complications can occur.  Prevention and education is the best medicine.

Patients with type 2 diabetes need to keep track of blood sugars at home to ensure that blood sugars stay within the range your health care team sets for you.  We have a lot of good tools at our disposal to aid us on our journey to stay healthy.

We at Dario are committed to providing you with the best technology available to keep you on track!