Site Sponsors
| What is type 2 diabetes? |
Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 20.8 million people in the United States—7.0 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 14.6 million have been diagnosed, and 6.2 million have not yet been diagnosed. In 2005, about 1.5 million people aged 20 or older were diagnosed with diabetes. For additional statistics, see the National Diabetes Statistics fact sheet online at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics or call the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse at 1–800–860–8747 to request a copy.
What is type 2 diabetes?
The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents. However, nationally representative data on prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth are not available.
When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes—glucose builds up in the blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of fuel.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may include fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow healing of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms.
Insulin dependent type 2 diabetics will die without insulin. People with all forms of type 1 diabetes are insulin dependent. But many people with type 2 diabetes also become insulin independent. This means without taking insulin each day they will die. If a persons takes too little or too much insulin they can suffer serious medical complications or even rapid death.
It is CRITICAL for people with insulin dependent diabetes to have enough insulin AND blood glucose testing supplies to manage their care each day. IPump, thanks to our generous donors, is able to provide financial assistance for the purchase of insulin and free diabetes supplies to those in need. Your gifts really do save lives!
This information is an excerpt from NIH Publication No. 06–3873, September 2006, reprinted with permission courtesy of the National Institutes for Health.
What is type 1 diabetes? (including juvenile diabetes, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), bronze diabetes (from hemochromatosis), maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), and cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFR)
Thank you -- Donors, Sponsors & Affiliates
We are truly, truly grateful to our many supporters. Without help from others we could not continue giving assistance to diabetics in need. To see who has helped us, which really means, helped those who have received our assistance, please use the links below:
|
Our Current Volunteer Opportunities Listed on VolunteerMatch.org |
