Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition in which the body becomes resistant to insulin and, over time, may also produce insufficient insulin to keep blood glucose in a healthy range. It often develops gradually and is closely linked with insulin resistance, weight changes, sleep patterns, family history, age, and broader cardiometabolic factors such as metabolic syndrome, blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and cholesterol abnormalities. Unlike type 1 diabetes, it is not primarily an autoimmune loss of insulin production, and unlike prediabetes, it has crossed a diagnostic threshold associated with higher risk of long-term complications.

Treatment options vary because type 2 diabetes is not one single pattern of disease. Some people are mainly dealing with mild fasting glucose elevation and lifestyle-related insulin resistance, while others have marked hyperglycemia, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or symptoms that require faster control. Western care often emphasizes glycemic control, organ protection, and complication prevention through nutrition therapy, exercise, monitoring, and medications such as metformin or newer agents like SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1–based therapies. Eastern approaches, including traditional Chinese medicine and mind-body practices, are often used as adjuncts to support diet adherence, stress regulation, symptom burden, and metabolic function. Research suggests that the most appropriate plan depends on severity, urgency, risk profile, cost, and whether the goal is gradual support or faster glucose lowering with stronger outcome data.