Diabetes

What is diabetes?

 Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not make enough insulin.  The latter is a hormone that balances the blood glucose levels and it is released by the pancreas (Cryer & American Diabetes Association, 2016). Therefore, when there is insulin deficiency, one suffers from diabetes. Diabetes is common and its prevalence is estimated to rise to 624 million people by 2040 (Cryer & American Diabetes Association, 2016).  The disease is associated with microvascular and macrovascular complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy, and myocardial infarction, and peripheral vascular diseases respectfully (Cryer & American Diabetes Association, 2016).  However, these long-term complications can be prevented by maintaining plasma glucose concentrations. 

 

 What causes diabetes?

 Factors that cause diabetes are;

• Insulin deficiency
• Heredity factor: this means that one may inherit the disorder from his or her family.
• Obesity: people who are overweight and obese are likely to develop type 2 diabetes because extra weight causes insulin resistance (Goel, 2017).
• Stress-Kahn (2005) says that stress affects glucose control, especially in middle and old aged people.  When these people have emotional or physical stress such as illness, their level of blood glucose rises.
• Diet and food-calorie-based diet and excess sugars contribute to weight gain and the risk of diabetes.
• Drug-induced Diabetes- oral contraceptives, steroids, and other medications have side effects such as eating more (Goel, 2017). As a result, people gain weight and become overweight and obese. As a result, they become susceptible and prone to diabetes.

 

What are the different types of diabetes?

 There are two types of diabetes; type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune cells and proteins destroy the cells that make insulin (Rubin, 2013). On the other hand, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body resists insulin. In other words, the insulin in the body fails to control the blood glucose and as are a result it accumulates in the bloodstream (Rubin, 2013). Type 2 diabetes also occur when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin.

 

What is the pathology of diabetes?

According to Baynes (2015) type 1 diabetes occurs as a result of the destruction of pancreatic β-cells. This leads to the production of less insulin and abnormal function of pancreatic a-cells. The higher blood glucose occurs due to insulin deficiency and also due to poor administration of insulin.  Insulin deficiency leads to controlled lipolysis and free fatty acids in the plasma (Baynes, 2015). These affect the metabolism of glucose and glucose utilization and also affects the genes that might help tissue respond to insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the condition occurs due to the pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance that affect insulin action (Baynes, 2015). During insulin resistance, the β-cells increases the insulin supply or rather it increases the plasma insulin concentration but it cannot maintain normal glucose homeostasis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Cryer, P. E., & American Diabetes Association,. (2016). Hypoglycemia in diabetes:

Pathophysiology, prevalence, and prevention.

 

 Goel Satish. (2017). Causes and Cure of Diabetes. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd

 

Kahn, A. P. (2005). Diabetes: Causes, prevention and treatment. New Delhi: Orient

Papaerbacks.

 

Rubin, A. L. (2013). Type 1 diabetes for dummies. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons

 

Baynes, H. W. (2015). Classification, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of diabetes

mellitus. J diabetes metab, 6(5), 1-9.