Type 2 diabetes
ICD-10 E11
If your A1C just crossed into the diabetic range, your prescriber will pick from one of three drug classes. Here's how to read what they suggest.
- 0.0M
- US adults with diabetes (~11.6%)
- A0C ≥6.5%
- diagnostic threshold
- <0%
- ADA target for most adults
- 0M
- US adults with prediabetes
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by insulin resistance and progressive beta-cell dysfunction, resulting in elevated blood glucose. The most prevalent form of diabetes, accounting for ~95% of US diabetes cases. Strongly linked to obesity, family history, and sedentary lifestyle.
What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?
- Increased thirst and frequent urination (polydipsia + polyuria)
- Unintentional weight loss despite normal or increased eating
- Fatigue, especially after meals
- Blurred vision (transient, from osmotic changes in the lens)
- Slow-healing cuts, recurrent infections (skin, UTIs, yeast)
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet (early neuropathy)
Who is at risk for type 2 diabetes?
- BMI ≥25 (≥23 in Asian-American populations)
- First-degree relative with type 2 diabetes
- Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian-American, or Pacific Islander ancestry
- Age ≥45
- Prior gestational diabetes or delivery of a >9 lb baby
- Sedentary lifestyle (physical activity less than 3 times/week)
- Hypertension, dyslipidemia, PCOS
How is type 2 diabetes diagnosed?
Diagnosed by any of: fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL, A1C ≥6.5%, oral glucose tolerance test 2h ≥200 mg/dL, or random glucose ≥200 mg/dL with classic hyperglycemic symptoms. Prediabetes: fasting 100-125 mg/dL or A1C 5.7-6.4%. Annual screening recommended for adults with BMI ≥25 and one additional risk factor.
How is type 2 diabetes treated?
Per ADA Standards of Care: metformin is the traditional first-line agent. GLP-1 receptor agonists (Ozempic, Mounjaro, Trulicity) and SGLT2 inhibitors are increasingly used as first-line, particularly in patients with cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or CKD due to outcome benefits beyond glucose control. Insulin remains essential for advanced disease. Lifestyle modification underpins all pharmacologic management.
Medications used for type 2 diabetes
Authority reference: www.cdc.gov
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Related topics
Sources
Primary sources cited above. FDA labeling, peer-reviewed trials, and specialty-society guidelines only.
- Standards of Care in Diabetes — 2025 · American Diabetes Association, 2025
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN-6) · New England Journal of Medicine, 2016 · PMID 27633186
- National Diabetes Statistics Report · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024
- Tirzepatide Versus Insulin Glargine in Type 2 Diabetes and Increased Cardiovascular Risk (SURPASS-4) · The Lancet, 2021 · PMID 34672967
People also ask
What's the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 is autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells — patients produce essentially no insulin and require it from day one. Type 2 is insulin resistance plus progressive beta-cell decline — most patients still produce insulin at diagnosis but the body's response is blunted. Type 2 accounts for 90-95% of US diabetes cases.
Can type 2 diabetes be reversed?
Remission (A1C <6.5% off all glucose-lowering medication for at least 3 months) is achievable with significant weight loss — bariatric surgery, very-low-calorie diets, and increasingly GLP-1-mediated weight loss have all produced remission in trials. Remission is more likely with shorter disease duration and greater weight loss.
Are GLP-1s now first-line for type 2 diabetes?
ADA's 2025 Standards of Care positions GLP-1 receptor agonists alongside metformin as first-line, particularly for patients with established cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or CKD where outcome trials show GLP-1 cardiovascular and renal benefits beyond glucose control.
How is type 2 diabetes diagnosed?
Any one of: fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL on two occasions, A1C ≥6.5%, 2-hour OGTT ≥200 mg/dL, or random glucose ≥200 mg/dL with classic symptoms. Prediabetes (A1C 5.7-6.4% or fasting 100-125 mg/dL) carries roughly 5-10% annual risk of progression to diabetes.