Diabetes Mellitus type 2

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the level of glucose in the blood is too high. In patients with Diabetes Mellitus, the body is unable to process glucose properly. For the transport of glucose from the blood to the body tissues, insulin is needed. Diabetes either create little or no insulin. It is also possible that the body has become desensitized to insulin. With little or no insulin, the body has trouble getting the glucose from the blood and therefore the glucose level in the blood will increase. This allows multiple health problems, such as heart disease, blindness and damage to kidneys and nervous system (Poortvliet, Schrijvers & Baan, 2007).
Diabetes is divided into two types, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is caused by the destruction of insulin producing cells of the pancreas. This creates a shortage of the hormone insulin. This type occurs in a short time and usually at an earlier age. 
However, Diabetes Mellitus type 2 arises gradual and usually later in life. Here, there are disturbances in the secretion of insulin and or there may be insulin resistance. Therefore the glucose level in the blood can be too high at a given moment.

In the past 20 years the number of people with Diabetes Mellitus type 2 is increased significantly in the Netherlands. In 2007, at least 740000 people had Diabetes in the Netherlands, in which 90 percent of type 2. (Poortvliet et. al, 2007) This type of Diabetes, which until the nineties almost only occurred among adult, is now also becoming more common among adolescents. The increase in the number of people with Diabetes is mainly caused by the increase in overweight people, an aging population and improved early detection. Diabetes Mellitus is a serious chronic condition. First, 40 to 56 percent of Diabetes patients also suffer from other disorders in addition to diabetes, such as heart disease, eye disease and kidney disease. The longer a patient has diabetes, the more the organs, tissues and nerves are affected.

















Poortvliet M.C., Schrijvers C.T.M. & Baan, C.A. (2007). Diabetes in Nederland. Omvang, risicofactoren en gevolgen, nu en in de toekomst. Bilthoven: RIVM, 2007.