| Home > Site Map > Conditions > D > Diabetes II |
| In some of these conditions insulin resistance has been shown to be an independent risk factor contributing to the disease and its complications. Although the pancreatic beta cells of patients with NIDDM usually continue to produce insulin, for some reason the body does not respond to the insulin effectively. The first step towards Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, a condition in which the key target tissues for insulin (muscle and fat) do not respond normally to that hormone. In this compensated, insulin-resistant state known as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), blood glucose remains normal throughout most of the day, but may become high after meals. Of the 130 people with adequate C-peptide levels in his study, 100 were able to discontinue insulin use altogether and control their diabetes on various doses of glyburide and metformin. Complications Excessively low glucose (from too much injected insulin or too little food) can cause the affected individual to lose consciousness, experience seizures or even die. Chronic complications typically take five to ten years to manifest themselves, are generally irreversible, and are predominantly caused by sustained high levels of blood glucose. |