Diabetes can lead to serious conditions such as stroke, circulation problems, Medically known as Diabetes Mellitus, symptoms include thirst, a frequent need …
HEALTH ZONE
Diabetes - Introduction
Diabetes is a common condition It develops when the amount of glucose in
the blood is too high because the body cant use it properly
Diabetes can lead to serious conditions such as stroke, circulation
problems, and damage to the kidneys and eyes
Medically known as Diabetes Mellitus, symptoms include thirst, a frequent
need to pass urine especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss,
genital itching or regular episodes of thrush, and blurred vision There
are three main types: 1, 2 and gestational If diagnosed early enough, most
people with diabetes can handle their condition by a combination of
lifestyle and medical interventions But there is no doubt medical advances
need to be made
What is diabetes?
Diabetes occurs because some people do not make, or cannot respond to,
their natural hormone insulin Hormones help us control the way our bodies
work Insulins specific job is to regulate the bodys use of glucose, our
main fuel source We get glucose, a form of sugar, from the food we eat It
is also made by the liver
Type 1 diabetes
In Type 1 diabetes very little or no insulin is made and lifestyle
changes
cannot alter the condition Patients need to monitor their blood glucose
levels and administer insulin injections several times daily This type of
diabetes generally develops in younger people, and affects both sexes
equally
Type 1 diabetes develops when cells that make insulin have been destroyed
by the bodys own immune system There is a genetic risk to diabetes - it
tends to run in families The environmental factors that might trigger such
a destructive process, possibly viral, are not well understood
Type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, either the body makes some, but not enough, insulin or
it cannot use the insulin it does make Patients may not need insulin
injections
Type 2 diabetes is associated with lifestyle factors such as increased
weight and a sedentary lifestyle It used to be called late onset because
it usually appears in middle-aged or elderly people Its also been wrongly
described as mild diabetes There is no such thing All diabetes should
be taken very seriously
At least three quarters of the estimated 150 million diabetics world-wide
have Type 2 It is increasing alarmingly The World Health Organisation
expects numbers to double to over 300 million by
2025
Gestational diabetes
Pregnancy affects blood glucose levels in all women and, as its name
suggests, gestational diabetes is linked to pregnancy If diagnosis is made
during the first three months, then the expectant mother was most probably
diabetic already However, when the diabetes starts after three months, it
is thought to be other hormones from the placenta interfering with insulin
action
Diabetes in animals
Insulin, the hormone at the heart of diabetes
Roughly one in every 500 dogs or cats has diabetes Onset is usually in
older animals, typically over seven for dogs and over five for cats
Burmese cats are known to be genetically predisposed to diabetes One in
ten over eight years old will develop the disease Guinea pigs and rabbits
also contract the condition Like humans, some diabetic animals can improve
with insulin and a controlled diet Others need medicines, the ones that
were first developed for humans
What happens when the body cannot control glucose production?
Our bodies digest sugar and starchy foods to make glucose This glucose is
released into the blood and stimulates the pancreas to make insulin
Insulin controls the amount of glucose in the blood by
allowing it to move
out of the blood into cells Once inside cells, glucose is converted to
energy, either to be used immediately or stored
People with diabetes do not have enough insulin or it does not work
properly, so their ability to convert glucose into energy is impaired The
body recognises it lacks energy and stimulates the liver to make more
feedstock for energy - glucose But the patients insulin problem means
this extra glucose still cannot be converted The next option for the body
is break down its stores of protein to try and release yet more, but
unfortunately still unusable, glucose This is why untreated diabetics
often feel tired and lose weight The body gets rid of glucose in the
urine, which explains the need to pass large amounts of urine and the
extreme thirst from the dehydration that follows
The impact of diabetes
Foot problems are among the many serious complications that can result
from diabetes Nerve sensations in a patients foot being tested
People with diabetes are significantly more likely to develop serious
health problems like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure,
circulation problems, nerve damage, and damage to the kidneys and eyes
Disease of
their leg arteries greatly increases the risk of exercise pain,
gangrene and amputation Kidney damage, for example, may develop in about
one-quarter of all people with the condition, and this can lead to kidney
failure and the need for dialysis or kidney transplantation Diabetes is
the single most common cause of blindness in adults of working age The
risks are made even worse if the patient is overweight, smokes or is not
physically active
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National Obesity Forum
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BBC Health Diabetes Guide
Sections on prevention, living with diabetes and treatment
Diabetes Insight Patients forum
News and views from the diabetes community
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