While researchers aren’t able to say that there’s a definitive reason that Type 2 diabetes develops, they can identify its effects on the body and risk factors that make you more vulnerable.
In a healthy body, your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin that allows blood sugar into the cells to be used for energy. When you develop Type 2 diabetes, the cells start to resist insulin — referred to as “insulin resistance” — and don’t allow the blood sugar to enter your cells. The pancreas produces more insulin to try to compensate. However, as the blood cells continue to resist, your blood sugar rises above a healthy level and may lead to prediabetes or Type-2 diabetes diagnosis.
If left untreated, Type 2 diabetes causes serious damage to the body. Possible consequences include vision loss, kidney disease, heart disease, and a shorter life expectancy.