All You Need to Know About Type 2 Diabetes

By Dr. Anne Tang

Type 2 diabetes is on the rise. Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity is widespread, and experts predict the number of people with diabetes will double by the year 2030. Though there’s no cure yet, if you develop diabetes you can make a plan with your doctor that will help you lead a healthy life.

Diabetes is a condition that makes it hard for your body to convert the food you eat into energy. Normally, after you eat, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by moving sugar from your blood into cells where it’s used for energy. Diabetics either don’t have enough insulin or their bodies don’t use insulin well, causing high blood sugar levels. Over the years, this high blood sugar can damage vessels and lead to heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, stroke or even limb amputations. We can’t cure diabetes yet, but we can control its symptoms by balancing diet, physical activity and medications.

The Types

Type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes) generally affects people under 30 whose bodies no longer produce insulin and they depend on insulin from an outside source to regulate their blood sugar. Type 2 (also called adult-onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes) affects people over 40 whose bodies can produce some insulin but don’t use it properly. Of the two forms, type 2 is the most common, especially amongAsians, African Americans, American Indians and Latinos.

The Risk Factors

If someone in your family has diabetes, you’re more likely to develop the disease. You’re also at greater risk if you are over 40, are overweight, have high blood pressure, are inactive, develop gestational diabetes or give birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds. Talk with your doctor about getting tested regularly for diabetes.

The Symptoms

Exhaustion, excessive thirst, excessive and frequent urination, blurry vision, wounds or cuts that won’t heal, numbness or tingling of feet, frequent vaginal infections and unexplained weight loss may be signs that you have diabetes. Call your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms.

Living with Diabetes

The key to living a healthy life with diabetes is controlling your blood sugar levels. With home glucose monitoring, you can see how food, exercise and medications affect blood sugar. It will help you avoid high sugar levels (hyperglycemia) and low sugar levels (hypoglycemia) and it will reduce your risk for diabetes-related complications such as blindness, kidney failure, feet numbness and heart disease.

Ask your doctor about the symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Eat on time, always carry some form of sugar with you in case of hypoglycemia, take your medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor, exercise regularly and stay hydrated (drink 6-8 glasses of water a day).

Monitoring your condition and keeping in close contact with your doctor can delay and even prevent the onset of diabetes-related complications. By taking control of your diabetes, you can lead a happy, fulfilling, healthy long life and thrive!

Dr. Anne Tang speaks three Chinese dialects and is Chief of the Bilingual Chinese Module at Kaiser Permanente's San Francisco Medical Center and Chief of Pharmacy and Therapeutics for Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Email Dr. Tang at

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This advertorial is written by Kaiser Permanente physicians based on their experiences. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and produced by NAM InfoWire.