Medically Reviewed by Meenakshi A Pande, MD

From an interview with
Dr. Meenakshi Pande
McLeod Pediatric and Adult Endocrinology

Type 2 Diabetes has become America’s quiet epidemic. About 37 million people in the U.S. have this progressive condition, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, amputations, and even erectile dysfunction.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared diabetes an epidemic in 1994 – about 30 years ago – and yet today, it is still an unfortunate fixture of our country’s public health. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Dr. Meenakshi Pande explains:

“Type 2 Diabetes or adult onset diabetes is usually seen in people who are older and overweight. However, this type of diabetes is becoming more common in younger age groups due to increases in the number of children and young adults who are overweight and obese. And unfortunately, this type of diabetes is quite common in our area.

The good news is that even if you have diabetes, you can control it mainly with changes in your lifestyle, such as increasing physical activity and making healthy eating choices. These are the most important ways to treat diabetes. By keeping the blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible, we can live a full and active life.”

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

The symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes occur because the lack of insulin means glucose stays in the blood and isn’t used as fuel for energy. Your body tries to reduce blood glucose levels by getting rid of the excess glucose in your urine.

Typical symptoms include:

• feeling very thirsty
• passing urine more often than usual, particularly at night
• feeling very tired
• weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
• slow to heal cuts or ulcers
• frequent vaginal or penile thrush
• blurred vision

If you have symptoms that you think could be diabetes, see your family doctor. They can take some preliminary tests and if needed, refer you to an endocrinologist.