Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset or noninsulindependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. People who are overweight and inactive are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Treatment includes taking diabetes medicines, making wise food choices, exercising regularly, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, and taking aspirin daily—for some.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a common metabolic condition that develops when the body fails to produce enough insulin or when insulin fails to work properly, which is referred to as insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormone that stimulates cells to uptake glucose from the blood to use for energy.

Insulin Resistance Pathophysiology

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

What is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin Resistance and Parkinson's Disease

Causes of Insulin Resistance

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Pathophysiology

Does the Keto Diet Increase the Risk of Diabetes?

Are Low Carbohydrate Diets Good for Type 2 Diabetes?

Insulin Resistance Treatment

Insulin Resistance Diagnosis

Insulin Medication

See more featured articles »

Diabetes in Men versus Women

Living With Type 2 Diabetes

Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin Resistance Symptoms

Is a Plant-Based Diet Good for Type 2 Diabetes?

The Risks of Prediabetes

Fibromyalgia and Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes Screening and Prevention

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

What is Diabetes?

Latest Type 2 Diabetes News and Research

AI spots hidden diabetes risk even when test results look normal

Researchers used continuous glucose monitoring and multimodal data from over 3,000 people to reveal hidden patterns in glucose spikes across normoglycemia, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. Their AI-driven model exposed high individual variability and offers a personalized path for early detection and prevention of diabetes.

3 Aug 2025

Researchers trace metabolic superpowers of hibernators to shared DNA

Animals that hibernate are incredibly resilient. They can spend months without food or water, muscles refusing to atrophy, body temperature dropping to near freezing as their metabolism and brain activity slow to a crawl.

1 Aug 2025

Saliva testing offers a non-invasive way to detect early metabolic risk

Measuring elevated levels of insulin in blood, called hyperinsulinemia, is a proven way to measure metabolic health and can show risk of developing future health concerns, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

31 Jul 2025

Metformin lowers blood sugar by acting on brain pathways

Although metformin has been the go-to medication to manage type 2 diabetes for more than 60 years, researchers still do not have a complete picture of how it works.

31 Jul 2025

Chronically ill? In Kennedy’s view, it might be your own fault

On a recent weekday evening, Ashly Richards helped her 13-year-old son, Case, with homework. He did math problems and some reading, underscoring how much he's accomplished at his school for children with autism.

31 Jul 2025

Several healthy eating patterns may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes across diverse ethnic groups

A large new meta-analysis of more than 800,000 participants to be presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) shows that high adherence to three well-established healthy eating patterns is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of one's ethnicity.

30 Jul 2025

Patients face vitamin deficiencies years after bariatric surgery

A review reveals dangerous vitamin deficiencies post-bariatric surgery, highlighting the need for improved follow-up to prevent life-threatening complications.

30 Jul 2025

Canadian scientists trap gut microbe fuel to improve blood sugar and liver health

A team of Canadian scientists has discovered a surprising new way to improve blood sugar levels and reduce liver damage: by trapping a little-known fuel made by gut bacteria before they wreak havoc on the body.

30 Jul 2025

Immune cells migrate from the gut to breast during pregnancy and lactation

Of the 3.6 million babies born in the United States each year, around 80 percent begin breastfeeding in their first month of life.

30 Jul 2025

Analysis shows low pre-pregnancy glucose increases risk of preterm birth

An analysis of data from more than 4.7 million Chinese women showed that those who had low blood sugar levels prior to conception were more likely to have certain adverse pregnancy outcomes-such as their baby being born preterm or with low birth weight.

30 Jul 2025

Vanderbilt team explores functional β-cell enhancement for diabetes

If it has seemed like more people you know are developing diabetes, you are right. The diabetes epidemic is not called that for nothing: According to the American Diabetes Association, over 10 percent of the U.S. population-approximately 38.4 million people-had diabetes in 2021, and 1.2 million more people get diagnosed each year.

30 Jul 2025

What’s better for your gut: lean beef or chicken? Science weighs in

A crossover trial in healthy young adults found that both lean chicken and beef diets reduced gut microbial richness, but only chicken caused significant diversity loss. The study highlights that lean local beef may have a milder impact on the gut microbiome than chicken.

29 Jul 2025

Most dairy foods linked to neutral or better health but yogurt stands out for real benefits

A major scoping review of recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses finds that most dairy products are either neutral or modestly protective for heart, cancer, metabolic, and mortality outcomes in adults. Yogurt and other fermented dairy consistently show the strongest health associations, while some risks remain for specific cancers.

28 Jul 2025

Research reveals financial toll of living with type 2 diabetes

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers used a unique dataset to show that patients with type 2 diabetes have significantly worse financial outcomes than other patients.

28 Jul 2025

Marbling of fat inside muscles found to block healing and weaken strength

Consider the delicate web of fat in a Wagyu steak. The "marbling" that makes carnivore connoisseurs swoon is a visual heuristic for quality flavor.

28 Jul 2025

Which GLP-1 meds have the most side effects? Study of 60,000 Facebook posts gives answers

Researchers analyzed nearly 60,000 public Facebook posts to identify real-world adverse events linked to GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medications. Gastrointestinal symptoms were most common, while mental health concerns and tirzepatide-specific side effects were also flagged.

28 Jul 2025

Experts say you don’t need 10,000 steps, here’s the new magic number

A major systematic review finds that walking just 7,000 steps per day, rather than the traditional 10,000, can significantly reduce the risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and more. The analysis, published in The Lancet Public Health, provides an evidence-based and achievable target for adult health.

27 Jul 2025

Heavy smoking linked to atrophy in Alzheimer’s brain regions

MRI findings indicate that smoking is linked to reduced brain volume, raising concerns about dementia risk, especially with higher body mass index.

25 Jul 2025

Commonly used type 2 diabetes medication linked to higher rate of heart-related conditions

New research from investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests that a commonly used type 2 diabetes medication is linked to a higher rate of heart-related conditions compared to medications that hit other targets.

24 Jul 2025

Walking 7,000 steps per day associated with reductions in risk of several serious health problems

A comprehensive new study analyzing data from over 160,000 adults finds that walking approximately 7,000 steps per day is associated with reductions in the risk of several serious health outcomes, including all-cause mortality (47% reduction), cardiovascular disease (25% reduction), cancer (6% reduction), type 2 diabetes (14% reduction), dementia (38% reduction), depression (22% reduction), and falls (28% reduction).

24 Jul 2025