Insulin is needed to burn glucose, which is necessary to the body cells for growth and energy. This type of diabetes usually appears between the ages of 40 and 60 in persons who are overweight. It can often be controlled by diet and exercise. People with Type II diabetes are at a higher risk of vision and kidney problems, heart disease and nerve damage. All of these symptoms result from the deficiency of insulin, which leads to excess sugar in the blood and urine.
Water moves out of the body cells to dilute the levels of sugar in the blood.
Kidneys work hard to remove this excess sugar and water. This leads to extreme thirst and frequent urination. Non-insulin dependent diabetes is the most difficult to detect because there may be fewer symptoms. Diabetes may be detected by the presence of elevated glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a hereditary disease.