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What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is an impairment in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel. This long-term (chronic) condition results in too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems. In type 2 diabetes, there are primarily two interrelated problems at work. A person’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into our cells — and cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can begin during childhood and adulthood. Type 2 is more common in older adults, but the increase in the number of children with obesity has led to more cases of type 2 diabetes in younger people.

What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. It includes:

• emphysema – damage to the air sacs in the lungs

• chronic bronchitis – long-term inflammation of the airways

COPD is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who smoke.. Many people do not realize they have it. With COPD, a person’s breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit their normal activities, although treatment can help keep the condition under control. 

What is interstitial lung disease?

Interstitial lung diseases encompass more than 200 disorders that can lead to irreversible scarring of lung tissue. The scarring associated with interstitial lung disease eventually affects a person’s ability to breathe and get enough oxygen into their bloodstream. Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) is a rare condition and a subset of interstitial lung disease. It leads to irreversible and progressive damage to both lung structure and function.