What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
When you have type 2 diabetes, glucose doesn’t move into the cells effectively; this is called insulin resistance. Instead, insulin builds up in the bloodstream, causing high blood sugar. In turn, your pancreas tries to make even more insulin, and it might not be able to make enough.
This condition can occur because of lifestyle factors or be inherited. “Type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic component,” says Leann Olansky, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “But if you choose a healthy lifestyle, you may be able to avoid diabetes or put it way off.”
You can still be diagnosed with diabetes without the genetic component, says Los Angeles–based John P. Martin, MD, the codirector for diabetes management for the Southern California region of Kaiser Permanente. “It’s not like not having the genetic tendency is going to protect you,” he says. “You can still get it if your diet, your weight management, and your self-care aren’t where they need to be.”
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