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Non-insulin-dependent diabetes

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus – Non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM), generally occurs in people aged 40 and older (although there are cases in younger people). In most cases, NIDDM is caused by a lack of physical activity, being overweight or an unbalanced diet. There are two possible causes of non-insulin-dependent diabetes:

  • The pancreas still manages to produce insulin, but in too small a quantity. This condition is called insulinopenia.
  • The body’s cells gradually become unresponsive to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. This exhausts the pancreas, which eventually fails to produce enough insulin.

In both cases, the blood sugar level is abnormally high, causing hyperglycemia.