According to Dr. Daniel Winer, a professor from the University of Toronto: “We are in the process of redefining one of the most common diseases in America as an autoimmune disease, rather than a purely metabolic disease.”
Dr. Daniel Winer isn’t alone in his theory. Some researchers have also hypothesized that type 2 diabetes has evolved from an innate immune response to an autoimmune condition.
According to them, the immune system attacks the body’s tissue resulting in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
The discovery that type 2 diabetes is an autoimmune disease means that new treatments can be found for people diagnosed with this particular type of diabetes. For starters, doctors can focus on managing type 2 diabetes with immune-modulating treatments.
The traditional approaches to managing type 2 diabetes are eating a healthy diet, exercising, and taking oral medications. In extreme cases, insulin shots are required.