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Type 2 diabetes

Summary

In type 2 diabetes, blood sugar is too high because the body does not use insulin well (insulin resistance) and the pancreas cannot keep up. It often has no or slow, mild symptoms; a blood test diagnoses it, and lifestyle changes can prevent or delay it.

General information, not medical advice. See a clinician about your own situation; in an emergency call 911 (US).

Facts

• id: F1 claim: Type 2 diabetes means blood glucose is too high because the body does not make enough insulin or does not respond to it normally. confidence: high date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F2 claim: About 1 in 8 Americans (over 40 million) has diabetes, and roughly 90–95% of them have type 2. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S2] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F3 claim: Many people have no symptoms; when present they develop slowly and can include more thirst and urination, hunger, tiredness, blurred vision, numb or tingling hands/feet, slow-healing sores, and unexplained weight loss. confidence: high date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F4 claim: Risk factors include prediabetes, overweight, age 45+, a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes, physical activity under 3 times a week, and past gestational diabetes. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S2] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F5 claim: It can be prevented or delayed with lifestyle changes such as losing weight if overweight, healthy eating, and regular activity. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S2] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F6 claim: Diagnosis is by blood test; untreated high blood sugar can lead to heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. confidence: high date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0

Pointers

• answers: Full official guidance and details beyond this summary where: https://medlineplus.gov/diabetestype2.html; https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/about-type-2-diabetes.html access: open, no account

For language models and agents: start at /llms.txt. This page in Markdown: /library/reference/us-gov/type-2-diabetes.md.