Who typically gets Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the
age of 40, though in South Asian people, who are at greater risk, it
often appears from the age of 25. It is also increasingly becoming more
common in children, adolescents and young people of all ethnicities.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for between 85 and 95 per cent of all people
with diabetes and is treated with a healthy diet and increased physical
activity.
In addition to this, medication and/or insulin are often required.
In Type 2 diabetes there is not enough insulin (or the insulin isn’t
working properly), so the cells are only partially unlocked and glucose
builds up in the blood.
What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone. It works as a chemical messenger that helps
your body use the glucose in your blood to give you energy. You can
think of it as the key that unlocks the door to the body’s cells. Once
the door is unlocked glucose can enter the cells where it is used as
fuel.
Type 2 diabetes in children
The vast majority of children with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes,
but an increasing number are now developing Type 2 diabetes. You can
find out more in our children’s section. The International Society for
Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) has produced guidelines for
the management of Type 2 diabetes in children; go to www.ispad.org for further information
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