I. Introduction: Type two diabetes (dīəˈbētēz, -tis) is a disease that affects the way glucose, the body's main source of fuel, is metabolized. With diabetes, the body will resist insulin or not create enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. In the United States approximately 25.8 million children and adults (8.3% of the population), 25.6 million (11.3% of people aged 20 and older), and 10.9 million (26.9 % of people aged 65 and over) have diabetes. In 1889 Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering discovered the role of the pancreas in diabetes. They created an experiment where they found that dogs who had their pancreases removed acquired symptoms of diabetes and died shortly after. In 1910, Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer discovered that diabetes was caused by an insulin deficiency. In 1921, Sir Frederick Grant Banting and Charles Herbert Best repeated the work of von Mering and Minkowski and went on to demonstrate that they could reverse induced diabetes in dogs by giving them an extract of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans from healthy dogs.¹ Well-known people with diabetes include Tom Hanks, Paula Deen, Halle Berry and Larry King. My great uncle and two great aunts on my father's mother's side are affected by this disease.II. Current information:A. Symptoms: In diabetes, sugar builds up in the bloodstream causing fluid to leak from the tissues, causing increased thirst and frequent urination. Other symptoms include increased hunger, as muscles and organs are depleted of energy due to a lack of insulin to push sugar into cells, and weight loss as a result of using alternative fuels stored in muscles and fat since the body is unable to metabolize glucose. Diabetes also causes...... middle of paper ...... diabetes, it is important to monitor your blood sugar so that it stays within your target range. You can also use diabetes medications that stimulate the pancreas to make and release more insulin, or slow insulin production and release glucose from the liver, reducing the need for insulin to transport sugar into cells. In addition to daily blood sugar monitoring, doctors may recommend regular A1C tests to measure your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months.⁵ The A1C test shows how effective your diabetes treatment is. Treatment may also include insulin therapy. Insulin is injected with a thin needle and syringe, an insulin pen, or an insulin pump. Still others block the action of gastric or intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates or make tissues more sensitive to insulin.⁶ Bariatric surgery also improves blood sugar levels.