Diabetes and Pregnancy

1645 Words4 Pages

Review of Condition Diabetes is a disorder of the breakdown of glucose in the body. Glucose levels in the body are maintained through diet and the aid of insulin. Glucose is brought into the body through various types of foods, the most common one being carbohydrates. Once glucose is in the body, it is distributed through the bloodstream with the help of inulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. In patients with diabetes, either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the cells the glucose is targeting do not respond appropriately. There are three main types of diabetes: type I, type II, and gestational diabetes. Insulin is a main component in the regulation of the body’s metabolism. Insulin is regulated by digestion processes. At the beginning of digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and other sugar molecules. Glucose is then directly absorbed into the bloodstream which causes blood glucose levels to peak. At the same time, the pancreas releases insulin to allow the glucose to be absorbed into cells either to be used as energy or stored. Once levels are balanced, the pancreas reduces production of insulin. In a patient with Type II diabetes, insulin may be produced and able to attach to receptor cells but glucose is unable to move into the cell to be used. As the disease progresses, the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient insulin to overcome the resistance. This causes the beta cells to become damaged which results in permanent hyperglycemia (Diabetes- Type 2). Type II diabetes can develop from a variety of sources which may or may not act in conjunction with each other; some of these are: poor diet, family history, low activity levels, ethnicity. Symptoms for Type II diabetes often develop slowly ... ... middle of paper ... ...r Disease Risk in the Offspring of Diabetic Women: The Impact of the Intrauterine Environment. Experimental Diabetes Research, 1-10. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23133443 MedlinePlus. (2012, June 02). Glucose Tolerance Test: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2014, from U.S National Library of Medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003466.htm NIDDK. (2012, June 19). National Diabetes InformationClearinghouse (NDIC). (R. Little , Editor) Retrieved Feb. 03, 2014, from The A1C Test and Diabetes: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/A1CTest/ Norman, G. D., & Steyn, P. S. (2013). The Intrauterine Device in Women with Diabetes Mellitus Type I and II: A systematic Review. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 1-11. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24396605

More about Diabetes and Pregnancy

Open Document