Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can vary in severity and may develop slowly and seem unrelated, making them easy to overlook or attribute to other causes. If you have some of these symptoms, get a medical evaluation.

Common signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

• Increased thirst and dry mouth (polydipsia).
• Frequent urination (polyuria), especially at night.
• Excessive hunger (polyphagia), even after eating.
• Unexplained weight loss despite an increase in hunger and food intake.
• Persistent tiredness, lack of energy, and a feeling of being physically or mentally drained.
• Blurred or hazy vision or seeing floaters or spots.
• Slow healing of wounds and infections: Cuts and sores taking longer to heal, and frequent infections or sores that are slow to heal.
• Tingling or numbness: Feeling “pins and needles”, numbness, or pain, especially in the hands, feet, or legs.
• Darkened skin patches (Acanthosis Nigricans): Velvety, dark patches of skin, usually on the neck, armpits, or groin.
• Impaired wound healing: Cuts, bruises, or sores that take a longer time than usual to heal.
• Irritability: Feeling easily irritable or having mood swings.
• Frequent vaginal yeast infections or urinary tract infections (women).
• Erectile dysfunction (men).

It's important to note that not everyone with type 2 diabetes will experience noticeable symptoms, especially in the early stages. Regular screenings and check-ups with a healthcare professional are essential, especially if you have risk factors like obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), prior gestational diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, a family history of diabetes, or high blood pressure.

Early detection and appropriate management of type 2 diabetes are crucial for preventing complications and maintaining overall health. If you suspect you may have diabetes or are experiencing symptoms, seek medical attention for proper evaluation and diagnosis.

Yes, type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. Lifestyle modifications play a significant role in prevention. One essential step in prevention is to have a primary care provider for personalized guidance and support in diabetes prevention and screening.

Here are key strategies to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes:

• Focus on a whole food diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables. Avoid processed food, sugary beverages, excessive carbohydrates, or sugary snacks.
• Engage in regular physical activity, because just 150 minutes a week of aerobic exercise or weight lifting can aid in prevention.
• A robust connection exists between obesity and the onset of type 2 diabetes. Losing excess weight, especially around the abdomen, with a low-carbohydrate diet and exercise can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Limit alcohol consumption as much as possible. Alcohol reduces self-control and provides additional calories that need to be metabolized before body fat.
• Stop smoking, because it worsens glucose control and diabetic complications, and is simply bad for health.
• Regular check-ups for early detection and monitoring can help to identify metabolic disease before it becomes diabetes.
• Managing stress more effectively can help prevent diabetes because stress raises blood glucose and can promote diabetes.
• Adequate sleep helps to stabilize blood glucose, while insufficient sleep reduces glycemic control.
• Knowledge and education are very useful for type 2 diabetes prevention. Take time to review the learning videos and related articles like this one. Reviewing them more than once will help you develop a better understanding of metabolic health.

Scientific evidence indicates that specific foods, such as refined grains and sugary beverages are linked to a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Trans fats or hydrogenated fats have also been shown to be associated with higher chances of type 2 diabetes.

Some types of foods can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Foods high in added sugars, such as sugary drinks, candies, pastries, cakes, cookies, and sweetened cereals, can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels.

Refined grains and processed carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, sugary cereals, and pasta can lead to rapid increases in blood sugar. Highly processed foods often contain added sugars, unhealthy fats, and refined carbohydrates, all of which can contribute to insulin resistance and promote type 2 diabetes.

Foods high in trans fats, such as fried foods and processed snacks can contribute to insulin resistance and increase the risk of diabetes.

Fruit juices may contain natural sugars, but they lack fiber, which slows down sugar absorption. Drinking fruit juices can cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels.

Excessive alcohol consumption can affect blood sugar levels and lead to weight gain, increasing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

For a diet to result in sustained long-term benefit, it must fit a person’s budget, taste preferences, values, and of course health.

Research has shown that ketogenic diets are helpful for controlling type 2 diabetes. By restricting carbohydrates, you are reducing the load of sugar on the body and reducing the body’s need to produce more insulin, which in effect reduces insulin resistance, the primary root cause of type 2 diabetes.

Mediterranean diets have been shown to help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Reputable organizations like the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes have issued reports affirming the benefits of low-carbohydrate diets for those with type 2 diabetes.

Revero’s low carbohydrate diet and clinical protocols are designed to treat the root cause of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes.

The most important single step to helping prevent type 2 diabetes is talking with your PCP about what your options are, and deciding what will be best suited to your needs.

Several supplements, including cinnamon, zinc, chromium, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), ginseng, fenugreek, green tea, and others have been evaluated for diabetes treatment. The results haven’t been conclusive enough to make any recommendations.

Research suggests that berberine, derived from several plants, has shown the potential to reduce blood sugar levels by affecting various metabolic pathways. It may have a similar effect to some diabetes medications like metformin and might be useful as part of diabetes management, but don’t take it without consulting with a healthcare provider.

​It's crucial to consult with a healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your diabetes management plan. Some supplements may interact with medications or have side effects, and proper dosages must be determined based on individual health conditions and needs

Revero recommends that people with type 2 diabetes should only change their diets with medical supervision. Changing your diet, particularly to Revero’s low-carbohydrate diet, can be very effective at lowering blood sugar. It will require monitoring and medication adjustment as it can lead to a rapid drop in blood glucose or blood pressure to dangerous levels.

You should NOT attempt to adjust medications on your own as you will risk serious complications.

Most medical clinics are not set up to continuously monitor biomarkers, but that is part of how we designed the Revero protocol. We can adjust medications as needed, more than once a day if necessary. We sometimes even lower medications ahead of time to prevent unsafe low blood sugar levels.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a broad term that encompasses a range of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. These conditions can lead to various health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, angina (chest pain or discomfort), heart failure, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), and peripheral artery disease. Here are some key components and types of cardiovascular disease:

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): This is the most common type of heart disease and occurs when the blood vessels (coronary arteries) that supply blood to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked due to a buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis). It can lead to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack (myocardial infarction). Myocardial infarction is the #1 cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes.
• Stroke: Patients with type 2 diabetes have a greatly increased risk of ischemic stroke, and also about a 25% lower chance of a good outcome. This is thought to be the result of damage to the lining of arteries, causing inflammation and stiffness as well as thickening. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery supplying blood to the brain.
• Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD): PAD occurs when there is a narrowing or occlusion of the arteries in the legs and other parts of the body, limiting blood flow. This condition is a major cause of diabetic foot ulcers, amputation of feet or legs, and death. The occurrence of peripheral arterial disease is estimated to be 2-7 times higher in people with type 2 diabetes than in those without the condition.

Diabetic nephropathy is a serious kidney condition that can develop in people with diabetes, particularly if the diabetes is poorly controlled. Up to 40% of diabetics develop diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy results from prolonged damage to the small blood vessels in the kidneys caused by high levels of blood glucose (sugar). Over time, this damage affects the kidneys' ability to filter waste products and excess fluids from the blood. It can also lead to end-stage kidney diseases requiring dialysis or kidney transplant.

Chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease are most frequently caused by type 2 diabetes.

38% of patients with type 2 diabetes develop protein in their urine (albuminuria) and 29% experience impaired kidney function within 2 years.

Chronic kidney disease progresses to end-stage kidney disease requiring dialysis in as little as two years. This has been found to occur in 10-17% of type 2 diabetic patients.

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur in individuals with diabetes, particularly those who have had diabetes for a significant period. Elevated levels of glucose in the blood over an extended period can damage the nerves throughout the body.

The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy can vary depending on the type of nerves affected. The most common types of neuropathy are:

• Peripheral neuropathy: Affects the peripheral nerves usually in the legs and feet, causing pain, numbness, and tingling. It can also cause sensory loss or altered sensation, making it difficult to perceive temperature or pain. Muscle weakness and difficulty coordinating movements can also happen.
• Autonomic neuropathy: Affects the nerves controlling involuntary bodily functions like bladder problems, gastrointestinal issues (gastroparesis), sexual dysfunction, and changes in heart rate (arrhythmia) and blood pressure.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs in patients with type 2 diabetes who have elevated blood glucose levels. The risk of diabetic retinopathy increases with the amount of time you have type 2 diabetes. High glucose levels cause damage to the circulation of the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy may be either proliferative or nonproliferative. Nonproliferative retinopathy occurs when high blood glucose levels lead to a breakdown of the structural walls of blood vessels in the retina.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is when the blood vessels no longer function, and the body grows new blood vessels to replace them. The new ones are also not normal and develop leaks.

As new blood vessels grow, the retina can detach from the back of the eye, causing vision loss. Glaucoma can also result from the growth of new blood vessels.

Diabetic retinopathy can cause different symptoms, such as loss of color vision or blurry vision. Those symptoms are slow to develop though, and anyone who has diabetes should have regular eye exams to detect retinopathy early.

Diabetic retinopathy does not occur in everyone with type 2 diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, controlling your blood glucose level could help prevent severe vision loss or delay the worsening of retinopathy.

There are treatments for advanced diabetic retinopathy. The choice of treatments depends on the state of a person’s retina.

There is no good published peer-reviewed research that shows objective improvement of these conditions in type 2 diabetes following a low-carb diet. However, there are many anecdotes of people improving these conditions over time with a low-carb or ketogenic diet.

When you have diabetes, your feet can develop many different complications. These problems are the result of nerve damage, blood vessel problems, and delayed healing

Diabetic neuropathy occurs when the nerves are damaged by diabetes, causing loss of the sensations of pain, cold, or heat in the feet. This results in changes to the foot and toes known as a “Charcot foot”.

If you have diabetic neuropathy, the nerve damage can make you unaware of injuries to your feet. You can sustain wounds, cuts, blisters, scrapes, or ulcers and not feel it. Because of the delayed healing, getting these to heal properly without infections is challenging.

Diabetes can also result in damaged blood vessels, reducing circulation and contributing to delayed healing and resultant infections. Even antibiotics become less effective because the bloodstream normally delivers the antibiotic to the site of the infection in the feet or toes. These types of wounds can take weeks or months to heal.

Fungal infections, corns, and calluses can also develop from diabetes. Often there is hair loss on the lower legs, feet, and toes.

The best strategy is prevention, by examining your feet every day and preventing foot injuries. Controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood lipids can also slow the underlying causes of diabetic foot issues by preventing or slowing blood vessel and nerve damage.

Warning signs are swelling, redness, blisters, ulcers, or calluses and should be reason to immediately contact your medical provider. Doing this will help to make sure that small wounds or infections get attention before becoming worse. Antibiotics are often used for infections. Dressings and medications are used on wounds, to help the foot heal.

These types of diabetic foot problems can sometimes result in wounds that don’t heal or become very infected, and this can necessitate surgery or even amputation. Prevention is by far the better path, so get evaluated by your medical provider immediately when lesions are noticed.