Diabetes
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease associated with the inability to store and metabolise glucose effectively. In the UK alone there are just under 3 million people diagnosed with diabetes and approximately 850,000 who are not aware that they have it. (Nhs.uk, 2014)
Because the transporters for glucose to be stored and metabolised are Insulin dependent in most areas of the body (except the Blood Brain Barrier), an absence or deficiency in Insulin results in Increased levels of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is diagnosed when the blood glucose level of a normal healthy individual is above 11.1mmol/l and in a fasting state above 7mmol/l. Diabetes can occur because of two factors:
Due to the inability to produce Insulin from the Pancreatic Beta cells located in the Islet of Langerhans. This occurs because the Body’s Immune system identifies the Beta cells as “foreign” material. B lymphocytes synthesise antibodies specific to the Beta cell and these cause more B and T lymphocytes to travel to the Islets. T cells are also involved and secrete chemical messengers called cytokines which allow communication between the immune cells to co-ordinate the attack. Cytokines advocate the necrosis of Beta cells and, and this leads to a larger production of Immunoglobins targeting specifically the Insulin within them. This causes the Beta cells to swell up also known as “Insulitis”, and is the early stages of Diabetes. Most people don’t realise they are developing diabetes because symptoms apparent for several years, and by this time over 90% of their Beta cells are destroyed and are unable to be restored. This is referred to as “Insulin Dependent Diabetes” and occurs in the early stages of life usually between the ages of 5 and 20...
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...ng - Diabetes UK. [online] Available at: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Monitoring/Testing/ [Accessed 21 May. 2014].
Articles
Mozo, V. (2010). How High Sugar Level in Blood Damages the Blood Vessels - Biology Online. [online] Biology-online.org. Available at: http://www.biology-online.org/articles/high-sugar-level-blood-damages.html [Accessed 22 May. 2014].
House, P. (n.d.). Top 10 Foods Highest in Carbohydrates (To Limit or Avoid). [online] Healthaliciousness.com. Available at: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-carbohydrates.php [Accessed 20 May. 2014].
Books
Katzen, H. and Mahler, R. (1977). Diabetes, obesity, and vascular disease. 1st ed. Washington: Hemisphere Pub. Corp. ; New York : distributed by Halsted Press, p.637.
Gan, D. (2003). Diabetes atlas. 1st ed. Brussels: International Diabetes Federation, p.73.
Diabetes is a disease that causes an abnormally high level of sugar, or glucose, to build up in the blood. Glucose comes from food we consume and also from our liver and muscles. Blood delivers glucose to all the cells in the body. In people without diabetes, the pancreas makes a chemical called insulin which is released into the blood stream. Insulin helps the glucose from the food get into cells. When the pancreas doesn’t make insulin, it can’t get into the cells and the insulin stays in the blood stream. The blood glucose level gets very high, causing the person to have type one diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the beta-cells are killed off by the immune system. This is because an inflammation is caused which the immune system fights off, ultimately destroying all/majority of beta cells. The role of the beta cells is to produce insulin within the pancreas. The beta cells are signalled when to release insulin’s to certain parts of the body. A person with type 1 diabetes is likely to have lost 70-80%1 of their beta-cells mass which is why they must manually inject insulin into themselves to maintain a healthy blood glucose level. When the blood glucose level falls (hypoglycaemia) you begin to lose energy.
During the year 1889, two researchers, Joseph Von Mering and Oskar Minkowski, discovered the disease that is known today as diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which the insulin levels (a hormone produced in unique cells called the islets of Langerhans found in the pancreas) in the bloodstream are irregular and therefore affect the way the body uses sugars, as well as other nutrients. Up until the 1920’s, it was known that being diagnosed with diabetes was a death sentence which usually affected “children and adults under 30.” Those who were diagnosed were usually very hungry and thirsty, which are two of the symptoms associated with diabetes. However, no matter how much they ate, their bodies wouldn’t be able to use the nutrients due to the lack of insulin.
According WebMD 2014. Diabetes mellitus (or diabetes) is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects your body's ability to use the energy found in food. There are three major types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes. It is a hormonal disorder of the pancreas either decrease in insulin level also known as hypoinsulinism or increase in insulin level also known as hyperinsulinism. Lowered amounts, insufficient of, or ineffective use of insulin leads to the disorder of diabetes mellitus. It is common chronic disease requiring lifelong behavioral and lifestyle changes. According to Peakman (2012). The development of type 1 diabetes mellitus is a genetic and an autoimmune process that results in destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, leading to absolute insulin deficiency. There is usually a pre-diabetic phase where autoimmunity has already developed but with no clinically apparent insulin dependency. Insulin autoantibodies can be detected in genetically predisposed individuals as early as 6-12 months of age. In persons genetically susceptible to type 1 diabetes, a triggering event, possibly a viral infection the leads to production of autoantibodies that kill the beta cells and results in decline and a lack of insulin secretion. According to Wherrett. It is caused by impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance and has a gradual onset. Those with type 2 diabetes may eventually need insulin treatment. Gestational diabetes mellitus is glucose intolerance during pregnancy in a woman not previously diagnosed with diabetes, this may occur if placental hormones counteract insulin, causing insulin intolerance. Complications in diabetes mellitus includes: Hypoglycemia it is ca...
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is also referred to as insulin-dependent as the secretion of the hormone insulin by the pancreas is reduced to minor levels due to the destruction of the pancreatic beta cells by immune system of the body. Therefore, Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune condition due to the fact that the body is harming the pancreas with antibodies so beta cells cannot make any insulin for bloodstream to take in glucose. The fact that the cells in the body cannot take in glucose means that it builds up in the blood and hyperglycaemia occurs. This abnormally high level of blood glucose is able to harm the nervous system, tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, heart and the eyes. Type 1 Diabetes is fatal when left untreated as it then causes heart disease, kidney disease, damage to the nerves, stroke and
The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus in is related to the insulin hormone. Insulin is secreted by cells in the pancreas and is responsible for regulating the level of glucose in the bloodstream. It also aids the body in breaking down the glucose to be used as energy. When someone suffers from diabetes, however, the body does not break down the glucose in the blood as a result of abnormal insulin metabolism. When there are elevated levels of glucose in the blood, it is known as hyperglycemia. If the levels continue to remain high over an extended period of time, damage can be done to the kidneys, cardiovascular systems; you can get eye disorders, or even cause nerve damage. When the glucose levels are low in one’s body, it is called hypoglycemia. A person begins to feel very jittery, and possibly dizzy. If that occurs over a period of time, the person can possibly faint. Diabetes mellitus occurs in three different forms - type 1, type 2, and gestational.
Diabetes mellitus, habitually referred to as diabetes is caused by a decline in insulin secretion by the cells of the pancreatic islet resulting into a surge in blood glucose concentration, a condition known as hyperglycemia. Diabetes insipidus is a disorder defined by the secretion of huge quantities of highly diluted urine, this is regardless if a reduction in fluid intake. This is as a result of a deficit of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) also known as vasopressin produced by the posterior pituitary gland. The disorder diabetes mellitus is associated by extreme reduction in weight, a higher urge for urination, also known as polyuria, higher levels of thirst (polydipsia) and an extreme craving to eat known as polyphagia. This disorder has been categorized as Type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes and Type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes another type is the Gestational diabetes. The Type 1 diabetes mellitus is portrayed by a deficiency of the insulin-secreting beta cells of the islets of Langerhans found in the pancreas, this leads to a shortage of insulin. The principal cause for this deficiency of beta cells is a T-cell mediated autoimmune onslaught. In children, Type1 diabetes is known as juvenile diabetes. The Type 2 diabetes mellitus is as a result of insulin resistance or diminished insulin sensitivity coupled to a reduction in insulin production.
Accordingto Diabetes UK (2012) “There are currently 3.8 million people in the UK with diabetes, including an estimated 850,000 people who have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it.” Helping to shape their services and work, Diabetes UK makes sure to involve people affected by and at risk of diabetes no matter what ethnic background they come from. From support and care to preventing, campaigning, fundraising and researching, they work to take on the fastest growing epidemic in the UK.
Diabetes is a disease in which a person’s body in unable to make or utilize insulin properly which affects blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas, which helps to regulate glucose (sugar) levels, break down carbohydrates and fats, and is essential to produce the body’s energy. The CDC (2013) offers reliable insight, summarized here, into the different types of diabetes, some causes, and health complications that may arise from the disease.
Diabetes refers to a set of several different diseases. It is a serious health problem throughout the world and fourth leading cause of death by disease in the country. All types of diabetes result in too much sugar, or glucos in the blood. To understand why this happens it would helpful if we understand how the body usually works. When we eat, our body breaks down the food into simpler forms such as glucose. The glucose goes into the bloodstream, where it then travels to all the cells in your body. The cells use the glucose for energy. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps move the glucose from bloodstream to the cells. The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus further explains the concept on how this disease works. Pancreas plays an important role of the metabolism of glucose by means of secreting the hormones insulin and glucagon. These hormones where then secreted by Islets of Langerhans directly to the blood. Inadequate secretion of insulin results on impaired metabolism of glucose, carbohydrates, proteins and fats which then result to hyperglycemia and glycosuria. Hyperglycemia is the most frequently observed sign of diabetes and is considered the etiologic source of diabetic complications both in the body and in the eye. On the other hand, glucagon is the hormone that opposes the act of insulin. It is secreted when blood glucose levels fall.
Heart disease and obesity goes hand in hand. There is much more of a common occurrence for people who are overweight will more and li...
Type 1 diabetes has a genetic onset that often occurs in adolescence (Porth, 2005). It is an autoimmune disease in which the insulin-producing beta cells within the liver are destroyed (Dorman, 1993). This causes a deficiency in insulin secretion, which ultimately leads to high blood glucose levels, also referred to as hyperglycemia (Guthrie & Guthrie, 2004). The mechanism for insulin deficiency leading to hyperglycemia is described in more detail in the following section and in Figure 1.
Diabetes type 1 occur when the immune system destroys the beta cells, they are responsible to create insulin and are located
Diabetes is a chronic disorder of metabolism characterized by a partial or complete deficiency of the hormone insulin. With this, there are metabolic adjustments that occur everywhere in the body. Specific to this child is Type One Diabetes. This is characterized by demolition of the pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin. Because of this, it leads to complete insulin deficiency. Within Type One diabetes, there are two different forms. First there is immune-mediated deficiency, which typically results from an autoimmune destruction of the beta cells. The second type is called idiopathic type one, in which the cause is unknown. (Wong, Hockenberry, Wilson, 2015)
Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. Glucose comes from two different sources, your liver and food. It's also your brain's main source of fuel. Glucose is made and stored in the liver. When your blood sugar gets low then your liver will use the stored glucose to keep your blood sugar level normal. If you have diabetes it means you have too much glucose in your blood. This is where insulin comes in. Diabetes is a growing epidemic in America's many nutritional diseases. There are a few factors that can cause or increase a person's chance of getting diabetes. Poor nutritional choices are a big factor in the cause of diabetes. The sad part is the increase is happening to the young children and teenagers in America. I will talk about what diabetes is, the increase in diabetes and why it’s so high, the complications that follow the diagnosis, and how it can be treated or reduced with diet and exercise.