DiabetesDiabetes mellitus, SugarDiabetes is a condition in which blood glucose stays too high, either because the body makes too little insulin or because it has stopped responding to it. Pakistan has one of the highest rates in the world, and a large share of people with it do not yet know.
Type 2 diabetes: the basics
Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed on a blood test, not on symptoms, and it can be present for years before anything feels wrong. This quiz covers the diagnostic numbers, what raises and lowers blood sugar, and the complications worth preventing early.
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Question 1/10
1. What goes wrong in type 2 diabetes?
Every question, with the answer explained
The full set, for revision or for reading straight through. The correct answer is marked, and the explanation says why.
1. What goes wrong in type 2 diabetes?
- The pancreas stops making insulin entirely
- The body responds poorly to insulin, and the pancreas cannot keep up
- The kidneys make too much sugar
- The stomach cannot digest sugar
The body responds poorly to insulin, and the pancreas cannot keep up. Type 2 is insulin resistance plus a pancreas that gradually fails to compensate. That is different from type 1, where the insulin-producing cells are destroyed by the immune system.
2. Which fasting blood glucose result is in the diabetes range?
- Below 100 mg/dL
- 100–125 mg/dL
- 126 mg/dL or above on two occasions
- Any value after a meal
126 mg/dL or above on two occasions. A fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or above, confirmed on a second test, is diagnostic. The 100–125 band is prediabetes — the point at which changes still reverse things.
3. What does HbA1c measure?
- Blood sugar right now
- Average blood sugar over roughly the last three months
- Insulin level
- Cholesterol level
Average blood sugar over roughly the last three months. HbA1c reflects how much glucose has stuck to your red blood cells, which live about three months. It cannot be improved by fasting the day before — that is exactly why it is used.
4. Which symptom combination should prompt a diabetes test?
- Passing urine often, constant thirst, unexplained weight loss
- A single headache
- Occasional sneezing
- Mild ankle swelling only
Passing urine often, constant thirst, unexplained weight loss. Thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, blurred vision, tiredness and slow-healing wounds are the classic cluster. Many people have none of them and are found on a routine test.
5. Which has the largest effect on blood sugar in a typical Pakistani meal?
- The quantity of rice, roti and sugary drinks
- The amount of salt
- Eating at night
- The pickle
The quantity of rice, roti and sugary drinks. Total carbohydrate drives glucose most — white rice, roti, naan, sweet drinks and mithai. Portion size matters more than eliminating any single food.
6. Can type 2 diabetes go into remission?
- Never
- Yes — significant weight loss can return blood sugar to normal in some people
- Only with insulin
- Only in children
Yes — significant weight loss can return blood sugar to normal in some people. Substantial weight loss, especially within a few years of diagnosis, puts a meaningful share of people into remission. Remission is not cure: the tendency remains and monitoring continues.
7. Why are the feet checked at every diabetes review?
- To measure shoe size
- Because nerve damage can hide an injury until it is infected
- To check blood pressure
- It is only a formality
Because nerve damage can hide an injury until it is infected. Neuropathy removes the pain that would normally make you notice a blister or stone in your shoe, and poor circulation slows healing. A daily look at your own feet prevents most diabetic foot problems.
8. Which eye complication is screened for even without symptoms?
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Short-sightedness
- Colour blindness
- Dry eye
Diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy damages the retina silently and is treatable when caught early. That is why annual retinal screening is recommended from diagnosis, symptoms or not.
9. What should someone on insulin or sulphonylureas keep at hand?
- A fast-acting sugar source for hypoglycaemia
- Extra salt
- An antibiotic
- Nothing in particular
A fast-acting sugar source for hypoglycaemia. These drugs can push blood sugar too low. Glucose tablets, juice or plain sugar treat a hypo quickly; the warning signs are shakiness, sweating, confusion and hunger.
10. Which is true about exercise in type 2 diabetes?
- It should be avoided
- It lowers blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity
- Only lifting weights helps
- It works only if you lose weight
It lowers blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity. Muscles take up glucose during and after activity, independently of weight loss. A 30-minute brisk walk on most days is a genuinely effective treatment, not just general advice.
Words used in this quiz
- InsulinInsulin hormone, Insulin injectionInsulin is the hormone made by the pancreas that moves glucose out of the blood and into cells. As a medicine it replaces or supplements what the body cannot produce, and it is given by injection because stomach acid would destroy it.
- GlucoseBlood sugar, DextroseGlucose is the simple sugar that circulates in blood and fuels every cell in the body, particularly the brain. Its level is held within a narrow range by insulin and other hormones, and both too much and too little cause harm.
- HbA1cGlycated haemoglobin, A1cHbA1c measures the proportion of haemoglobin that has sugar stuck to it, which reflects the average blood glucose over roughly the past three months. It needs no fasting and is used both to diagnose diabetes and to judge how well it is controlled.
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