Type II Diabetes is characterized by which?

Type II Diabetes is characterized by which?

• A. Insulin resistance
• B. Insulin dependent
• C. Autoimmune destruction of beta cells
• D. Increased insulin production

Answer: (A)

The key idea is insulin resistance: in Type II diabetes the body's cells (like muscle and fat) don’t respond properly to insulin, so glucose stays in the blood rather than entering cells. The pancreas often tries to compensate by making more insulin, at least early on, which is why insulin levels can be high even though glucose is elevated. This differs from autoimmune destruction of beta cells, which is what happens in Type I and makes insulin production severely limited or absent. It also isn’t about being insulin dependent at diagnosis, since many people with Type II don’t need insulin right away, and it isn’t about increased insulin production as the defining problem—it's the diminished effectiveness of insulin that characterizes Type II.

The key idea is insulin resistance: in Type II diabetes the body's cells (like muscle and fat) don’t respond properly to insulin, so glucose stays in the blood rather than entering cells. The pancreas often tries to compensate by making more insulin, at least early on, which is why insulin levels can be high even though glucose is elevated. This differs from autoimmune destruction of beta cells, which is what happens in Type I and makes insulin production severely limited or absent. It also isn’t about being insulin dependent at diagnosis, since many people with Type II don’t need insulin right away, and it isn’t about increased insulin production as the defining problem—it's the diminished effectiveness of insulin that characterizes Type II.