Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a disease in which blood glucose levels are too high. It typically starts with insulin resistance: a condition where cells don’t respond appropriately to insulin. The pancreas then produces more insulin to try and get the cells to respond, but it’s unable to sustain this heightened production over time, resulting in chronically high blood glucose levels.
What is type 2 diabetes?
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•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
Type 2 diabetes is a disease characterized by high blood glucose levels; it often begins with insulin resistance, in which cells fail to respond to insulin. Over time, the pancreas cannot maintain the increased insulin production needed to manage blood glucose, which leads to chronic elevation of glucose levels.