He first tested C-peptide levels and chose only those who had normal levels. He found that their overall control, measured by a HbA1c level, was better on these two oral medications than it had been on two doses of insulin a day. Other people in the study were able to improve their hemoglobin levels by using glyburide, metformin and one dose of insulin at dinner or nighttime. Many people with Type 2 diabetes are not diagnosed at all. This rampant problem means some 8 million Americans don't know they have this disease.
Symptoms are usually minimal or nonexistent, sometimes for years.
An elevated blood sugar is only picked up when the person goes in for a routine physical exam or visits the doctor for another problem, like a cold or a flu. Among people who are diagnosed with diabetes, misdiagnosis as to type does occur. This happens most often when the person does not have the body type or age expected for traditional Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. For example, a person who is 38 and slender has mildly elevated blood sugars. He is older and his blood sugar may not be as high as a typical Type 1, but he is too thin for a true Type 2.