Question 1

What are the two main defects that characterize type 2 diabetes mellitus?

Accepted Answer

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin resistance, where tissues like the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue respond poorly to insulin, and progressive beta cell dysfunction, where pancreatic beta cells fail to produce sufficient insulin. Together, these abnormalities result in persistent hyperglycemia, the hallmark of the disease.

Question 2

How do genetic and environmental factors interact to increase type 2 diabetes risk?

Accepted Answer

Type 2 diabetes develops through complex interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. Certain genetic variants, such as KCNQ1, have stronger effects when combined with environmental stressors like high-fat diets. Gene-environment interactions raise disease risk through additive and synergistic mechanisms, meaning both factors together amplify susceptibility beyond their individual effects.

Question 3

What role do epigenetic changes play in type 2 diabetes development?

Accepted Answer

Epigenetic changes contribute to impaired metabolic regulation by influencing the expression of genes such as FTO and TCF7L2. Environmental factors including obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets promote chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which trigger these epigenetic modifications that worsen insulin resistance and increase disease risk.

Question 4

Which non-modifiable risk factors increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes?

Accepted Answer

Non-modifiable risk factors include family history, advanced age over 45, high-risk ethnicities such as South Asian, Hispanic, African, and Indigenous populations, and genetic susceptibility including rare monogenic forms like maturity-onset diabetes of the young. These factors cannot be changed but help identify individuals at elevated risk.

Question 5

How do lifestyle factors like obesity and physical inactivity contribute to type 2 diabetes?

Accepted Answer

Obesity, especially visceral fat accumulation, and physical inactivity worsen insulin resistance by promoting chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal imbalance. These environmental factors trigger epigenetic changes affecting metabolic genes and increase disease risk through multiple pathways, making them significant modifiable risk factors.

Question 6

What cardiometabolic conditions increase the risk of type 2 diabetes?

Accepted Answer

Cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and a history of gestational diabetes or polycystic ovarian syndrome further increase type 2 diabetes risk. These conditions reflect underlying metabolic dysfunction and often coexist with insulin resistance, compounding disease susceptibility through shared pathophysiological mechanisms.

Question 7

What additional lifestyle and environmental factors contribute to type 2 diabetes risk beyond diet and exercise?

Accepted Answer

Poor sleep, smoking, alcohol use, socioeconomic stress, and environmental pollutants disrupt metabolic regulation and increase type 2 diabetes risk. These factors work alongside modifiable factors like central obesity and sedentary lifestyle to impair glucose homeostasis and promote disease development through multiple metabolic pathways.

סוכרת סוג 2 I: מבוא

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