Type 2 Diabetes
According to Diabetes Canada, "Ninety per cent of Canadians with diabetes are living with type 2 diabetes".
Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which your body cannot make enough insulin (a hormone that helps control the amount of glucose or sugar in your blood), or does not properly use the insulin it makes.
Risk Factors
There are a number of risk factors, being over the age of 40 with a parent or sibling with diabetes ranking as highest, that would account for the high percentage of Canadians with type 2 diabetes.
Some risk factors include:
high blood pressure
high levels of cholesterol or other fats in the blood
a high BMI or are overweight
prediabetes
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder)
obstructive sleep apnea
darkened patches of skin
If you or someone you know may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, speak to your doctor about testing for diabetes and discuss prevention options your can start today!
Symptoms and Treatments

As with type 1 diabetes, symptoms and treatments may vary from person to person. The information we present here is to be used as a guideline only. Always seek advice and options from your medical practitioner.
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes share similar symptoms, however, the difference lies in the onset of such symptoms (how rapidly symptoms occur).
The following type 1 symptoms may develop over several weeks.
Increased thirst and urination
Increased hunger
Blurred vision
Tiredness and fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Whereas, similar and additional symptoms of type 2 diabetes may appear over several years.
Increased thirst and urination
Increased hunger
Blurred vision
Tiredness and fatigue
Numbness or tingling in hands or feetSores or wounds that take a longer time to heal
Weight changes
Unlike type 1 diabetics that are more insulin-dependent, type 2 treatment is more lifestyle-related in its efforts to manage symptoms and diagnosis.
You can manage type 2 diabetes by:
eating healthy meals and snacks
enjoying regular physical activity
monitoring your blood sugar with a home blood glucose meter
aiming for a healthy body weight
taking diabetes medications including insulin, if prescribed by your doctor
managing stress effectively
Visit the Diabetes Canada website for information on basic meal planning, recipes, and physical activity tips and ideas!
Complications
Complications brought on by the onset of type 2 diabetes do not vary greatly from those of type 1 diabetes. One difference is the absence of Celiac disease.
In today's blog we provide more information on each of the complications below (adapted from its original source):