Type 2 Diabetes: PROGRESSION
Before We Begin
Before we highlight the symptoms, progression and complications of Type 2 Diabetes, it would be helpful for you to visit our "Causes of Type 2 Diabetes" page so that you gain a better understanding of how some of the symptoms and complications that we will discuss, happen.
Prediabetes/Type 2 Diabetes: Symptoms
Prediabetes/Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes share many of the same symptoms, these include:
- more frequent trips to the toilet, particularly during the night
- feeling more tired than usual - due to glucose not being able to enter your cells to be used as energy
- being more thirsty than usual
- unplanned weight loss
- cuts and wounds taking longer to heal
- Issues with your eyesight/vision
- genital itching or thrush
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to make your GP aware - they may request a blood test if they believe you are at risk/have prediabetes/T2DM.
Some people may not experience, or notice these symptoms, but may still develop the above conditions due to lifestyle factors.
Type 2 Diabetes: Complications
Type 2 Diabetes Complications
"Complications", refers to health problems that can occur when prediabetes progresses to Type 2 Diabetes, and it isn't treated properly, as a result, your blood glucose (sugar) levels are raised consistently over a long-period of time (chronically).
Although you may not physically be experiencing symptoms, the development of complications continues to occur in the background, the longer your Type 2 Diabetes is not controlled, or reversed.
There are two types of complications:
- Macrovascular (Damage to large blood cells)
- Microvascular (Damage to small blood vessels)
Macrovascular Complications:
- High blood pressure (Hypertension)
- Heart attacks
- Strokes - leading to paralysis and dementia
- Peripheral arterial disease - leading to cold feet and eventually, amputations
Microvascular Complications:
- Eye damage (Retinopathy) with reduced vision and eventually, blindness
- Kidney damage (Nephropathy) leading to kidney failure and dialysis
- Peripheral nerve damage (Neuropathy) - pins and needles, numbness and pain, risk of foot ulcers, amputations and deformed joints (Charcot joints)
- Abdominal and pelvic nerve damage (autonomic neuropathy) causing stomach and urinary issues and sexual dysfunction
Complication Likelihood and Life Expectancy
Type 2 Diabetes can progress, regress, or stay the same.
However: 10 to 15 years after being diagnosed with T2DM:
- A third of people will get a macrovascular complication
- A third will get a microvascular complication
- A half will get one or both
- 50% of all Type 2 diabetics will need injected insulin
- Life expectancy on average is reduced by 5-10 years for those with T2DM
However, this can be prevented - press here to find out how.
Prediabetes/Type 2 Diabetes: Progression
Silent, but progressive
Prediabetes and thus T2DM can occur at any point in your life, if your eating habits are not healthy (eating too much processed food or just eating too much), and you are sedentary (you're not very active).
- It is more likely for those over a 45, as our metabolism (our internal bodily functions, including breakdown of food) slows down, but we are still eating the same amount as when our metabolism was faster.
There are additional risk factors:
- Younger people who are overweight
- Sedentary lifestyle - little or no physical activity
- A family history of diabetes
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol
- Previous diagnosis of heart disease
- Diabetes during pregnancy (Gestational Diabetes)
Once you develop prediabetes, it takes approximately 3-5 years to develop T2DM.
- As a result you are likely to experience more of the symptoms mentioned above, and eventually, if left untreated, the complications.
This leads to reduction in life expectancy due to the increased risk of a Heart Attack and/or Stroke (Macrovascular Complications).
However, this is all preventable, please click here to find out how to prevent and reverse T2DM.