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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffType 2 diabetes, once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body's main source of fuel.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your body is resistant to the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or your body doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. Untreated, the consequences of type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening.
There's no cure for type 2 diabetes, but you can manage — or even prevent — the condition. Start by eating healthy foods, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. If diet and exercise aren't enough, you may need diabetes medications or insulin therapy to manage your blood sugar.
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- Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: 2009. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/123565990943909Heart%20and%20Stroke%20Update.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2009.
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- Denkins DJ, et al. Effect of a low glycemic index or a high cereal fiber diet on type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:2742.
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- High blood sugar: Definition, symptoms. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=EC92D98E-1321-C844-13EB771367A49526. Accessed April 3, 2009.
- What is hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome? American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/treatment-conditions/hhns.jsp. Accessed April 7, 2009.
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- Anderson RA. Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2008;67:48.
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- International Expert Committee. International Expert Committee report on the role of the A1C assay in the diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1.
