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Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is high blood sugar levels due to your body not making enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin it makes not working properly — known as insulin resistance.

High blood sugar levels over time can cause other health problems like heart attacks and strokes, as well as problems with your eyes, kidneys, and feet. These are called diabetes complications

So treatment includes regular health checks and getting support to be active, eat healthily, and maintain a healthy weight. You may need to take medication including insulin and check your blood sugars regularly too.  

Type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for years if you don’t have symptoms or your symptoms are missed. 

It doesn't just affect people living with overweight or obesity, although this is one of the risk factors, along with ethnicity

There are many reasons type 2 diabetes develops but it mostly affects people over 25 often with a family history. 

Many people can do things to try and prevent type 2 diabetes. 

There’s no cure but some people with type 2 diabetes can put their diabetes into remission.

For a version of our What is type 2 diabetes? video in Gujarati, Punjabi, Sylheti or Urdu, go to our YouTube playlist

Diabetes information in other languages

What are the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

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How to prevent type 2 diabetes

Find out how type 2 diabetes may be prevented in some cases.
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Find out the symptoms of type 2 diabetes

In some people type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed - know what symptoms to look out for.
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What causes type 2 diabetes?

Not everyone diagnosed with type 2 diabetes lives with obesity or overweight. Find out the different causes.
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Type 2 diabetes treatments

Insulin is just one of the treatments offered to some people with type 2 diabetes.
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Type 2 medicine

Find out what types of medicine and tablets are available for type 2 diabetes.
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Type 2 diabetes remission

Some people call it 'reversing' type 2 diabetes. We call it remission. Find out all about it.
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Ethnicity and type 2 diabetes

Find out how ethnicity affects your risk of type 2 diabetes.
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Young people and type 2 diabetes

Tips and information if you have type 2 diabetes or want to try and prevent it.
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Get a copy of Your Guide to Type 2 diabetes

Download one or request a printed one from our shop.

What's it like living with type 2 diabetes? 
Watch Gina's story on YouTube

 

Next Review Date
Content last reviewed
18 May 2023
Next review due
18 May 2026
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