Diabetes mellitus type 2 estimated that 20% of people with diabetes in the United States do not realize that they have the disease. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. This is in contrast to diabetes mellitus type 1 in which there is an absolute insulin deficiency due to destruction of islet cells in the pancreas and gestational diabetes mellitus that is a new onset of high blood sugars associated with pregnancy. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes can typically be distinguished based on the presenting circumstances. If the diagnosis is
Epigenetics of diabetes Type 2 Based on this study further investigation proved that if hypomethylation was induced, then the individual was far more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who led a healthy lifestyle. This proven presence of low methylation at certain sites could be used to diagnose diabetes 2 in individuals earlier in future treatment. Studies in 2011 have shown that insulin resistance (IR), the hallmark of type 2 diabetes, may also involve epigenetic control as a contributing factor. Promoter methylation of the mitochondrial transcription factor A(TFAM) gene, an important gene essential for mitochondrial DNA maintenance, was associated with IR in adolescents.