Type 2 diabetes

What is it?

In diabetes, the level of a sugar (glucose) in the blood becomes higher than normal. A hormone called insulin normally takes glucose out of the blood so it can be used for energy, but in type 2 diabetes:

  1. The body does not make enough insulin
  2. The insulin doesn’t work properly (called ‘insulin resistance’)
  3. There may be a combination of the two reasons above

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is linked to lifestyle choices, but there are also some risk factors that you cannot control such as your age, ethnic background and a family history of diabetes.

How is it treated?

The treatment is lifestyle changes such as to the food you eat and being more active. Adjusting your lifestyle might also mean you can delay the need for medicines, but most people will eventually need tablets and some will also have to add insulin. The time this takes varies from person to person, but taking medicines as soon as they are needed will help you stay healthy.

What can I do to manage it?

It is important to learn as much as possible about type 2 diabetes and how to manage it. Seeing a Credentialled Diabetes Educator will help you decide on a course of action and develop a diabetes self management plan to suit your lifestyle and circumstances.    

Need more information?

Your doctor can refer you to health care professionals who can assist you. You will also find more information in our Resource links section.

Credentialled Diabetes Educators are health care professionals who have specialised in diabetes and participate in ongoing learning to make sure their knowledge and skills are up-to-date. To find a Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) close to where you live or work, please click on ‘Find a CDE’  to return to our home page and start your search. 

How do you score?

 Click here to assess your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.