Can Type 2 Diabetes Change Over Time?

Type 2 diabetes makes up about 90-95% of all cases of diabetes. Some people don’t know they’re living with type 2 diabetes until their blood glucose, or sugar, levels are high enough to produce side effects or they find out through routine testing at their GP’s appointment. 

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body can’t properly use insulin to move glucose out of the blood and into your cells. If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it’s important to remember that it’s a progressive condition. This means that your cells may stop responding to insulin over time or your pancreas may stop producing insulin altogether. As diabetes progresses, you may need to change your treatment plan.

Does type 2 diabetes change over time?

Yes, type 2 diabetes can change over time. A type 2 diabetes diagnosis means you have blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels that are too high. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas makes. It helps move glucose from the blood into your cells, where it can be used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, however, your body doesn’t respond properly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. 

If you have insulin resistance, your body isn’t able to effectively use insulin to move glucose into your cells. As a result, glucose builds up in your blood. Type 2 diabetes typically starts with insulin resistance. You may or may not know you have type 2 diabetes while your body is dealing with insulin resistance.

In an attempt to get your cells to respond, your pancreas goes into overdrive by making more insulin. But, as time goes on, your body can’t make enough insulin to keep up with the demand. Eventually, the pancreas may become damaged and stop producing insulin altogether. This leads to a rise in your blood glucose levels. Over time, high blood glucose can lead to complications, such as:

• heart disease and stroke

• kidney disease

• nerve damage

• eye problems

• foot problems

It’s essential to know that type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition that requires monitoring and requires occasional changes to your treatment plan in order to keep symptoms under control. Some people can manage type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise, while others may need medications like metformin to manage blood glucose levels. 

In some cases, this initial treatment plan is enough. However, it’s not uncommon to need to add or change medications or to make changes to your diet and exercise plan as time goes on. Some people with type 2 diabetes may also need to take insulin as part of their treatment plan.

Can type 2 diabetes come and go?

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that currently has no cure. So while you may have periods where symptoms are minimal or unnoticeable, especially in the early stages, that doesn’t mean the disease itself comes and goes. You may also have periods where blood glucose levels or blood glucose markers revert to a non-diabetic range and stay in that range for at least 6 months without the help of diabetes medication. This would be considered as diabetes remission.

Weight loss is the primary means of achieving remission in people with type 2 diabetes. Remission isn’t the same as a cure, however. You still have diabetes even if you’re in remission. Your blood sugar levels may return to a diabetic range due to factors such as weight gain, for example.

How fast does type 2 diabetes progress?

How fast type 2 diabetes progresses depends on several factors such as genetics, diet, activity level, and how your body responds to medication. Slowing the progression is not an exact science, however, a combination of exercise, a well-balanced eating plan, and weight loss, if needed, can help manage blood sugar levels and delay the progression of type 2 diabetes.

While it’s difficult to predict how quickly your condition will progress, we do know that it varies from person to person. That’s why it’s essential to keep in contact with your GP about how type 2 diabetes is impacting your life and whether you need to adjust your treatment or management plan.

Does type 2 diabetes eventually become type 1?

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are two separate conditions with different causes. Therefore, type 2 diabetes will not eventually become type 1 diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to manage the condition. There is a notion that suggests that type 1 is triggered by factors in the environment or genetics. For example, there has been a documented rise in young children developing type 1 diabetes, which may be an autoimmune reaction to either getting Covid itself, or the emotional and psychological impact in experiencing a lengthy period of lockdown and isolation. 

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is a result of your body not using insulin properly. Experts believe a combination of factors such as genetics and family history, lifestyle, stress, physical activity, diet, and body weight contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. 

Unlike type 1 diabetes, which requires insulin therapy, many people with type 2 diabetes can manage the condition with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. In some cases, people with type 2 diabetes may need medication or insulin to manage their blood glucose levels. 

Extracts taken from Sara Lindberg from www.healthline.com