Is Type 2 Diabetes a Progressive Disease?

Question

Is Type 2 Diabetes a Progressive Disease?

Answer

Type 2 diabetes is indeed a progressive disease that tends to worsen over time. Initially, patients may only need oral hypoglycemic drugs to control blood sugar levels, but as the disease progresses, β-cell function declines, and the effectiveness of oral medications diminishes. Patients may then need to rely on injected exogenous insulin to control their blood sugar. This is a natural progression of the disease, and many Type 2 diabetes patients will eventually require insulin injections.