Diabetes
Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources
Stop Diabetes Before It Starts
Health Risks of Type 2 Diabetes
Health Risks of Type 2 Diabetes
Our bodies break down carbohydrates in the food we eat into glucose, the form of sugar found in our blood. Insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas) then carries that glucose to cells, where it is used for energy.
A person with type 2 diabetes either doesn’t produce enough insulin or has cells that are resistant to insulin, causing glucose to build up in the blood stream. In the short term, that leaves your cells starved for energy. In the long term, it can damage your cells, leading to kidney disease, stroke, heart attack, or other serious conditions.
By Jenilee Matz, MPH. Jenilee Matz, MPH, is a medical writer, health educator, and triathlete based in Charlotte, NC. Published May 1, 2012.
