Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a group of diseases characterize by high levels of blood glucose because of defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can lead to serious medical problems such as heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and kidney damage and may result in premature death.

Type 2 diabetes is very common in the US population. Diabetes affects more than 29 million people in the US, which is about 1 in 11 people. The most common type of diabetes is type 2 (9 out 10 people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes). For additional facts about diabetes, please see the National Diabetes Fact Sheet prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are more than 86 million US adults at risk for diabetes. Lifestyle changes, such as diet and physical activity, can delay the progression of diabetes. However, many people still develop diabetes despite efforts at changing their lifestyle and additional approaches to prevention of type 2 diabetes are needed, which is the premise of the D2d study. For more information on prevention of type 2 diabetes, please visit the National Institutes of Health National Diabetes Education Program website.