Diabetes - What is It?
by Christopher Ruane
www.manhealthsite.com
Posted Mar 10th 2007,
Read 205 times since then.
Diabetes: What is it? The following information is for educational purposes only and is meant to complement any medical treatment, not to prescribe or diagnose any condition. Please consult with your doctor before starting any medical or nutritional program. With the invention of all our modern and refined processing for foods we have seen an increase in diabetes in…
Diabetes Facts Diabetes is a medical condition in which patients will suffer from high levels of blood sugar. Because of this, they will not secrete the correct amount of the hormone insulin. There are three forms of diabetes, and these are gestational diabetes, type 1, and type 2. About 10% of all cases are Type 1, while 90% of cases are type 2. In type 1…
Diabetes - What Is It - How To Treat It Also known as sugar diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, this is a condition where the body produces very little or no insulin, the hormone needed to transform carbohydrates into energy. Consequently, sugar accumulates in the blood. Symptoms include the constant need to urinate, thirst, recurrent infections, fatigue and weight loss. There are 2 types…
Diabetes: What Can Be Done? A recent estimate proclaimed that 25-35 percent of Westernized populations could suffer from a degree of insulin resistance or from some of health consequences associated with this disease of lifestyle in the future. After further reading of websites and research papers, the following tips were found that were suggested to reduce the risk of…
Diabetes - A Day in the Life For people that live without diabetes it is hard to understand how the disease impacts the flow of daily life. Every day begins with a “stick” and a drop of blood. A “stick” is the term we use to describe using a lancet to pierce the skin and draw a drop of blood for a blood sugar test. Then we check the blood glucose levels (BGL) with a test…
Our bodies change the food we eat into glucose or sugar through a process of digestion. Sugar travels through the body in the blood. Some of this sugar is used for energy, as the body’s main fuel source, and some is stored in muscles and the liver for later use. Excess sugar is made into fat and stored throughout the body.
Beta cells in the pancreas are responsible for producing the hormone insulin which allows sugar to be used for energy and for storage, unlocking cells throughout the body to allow glucose to enter as fuel. In diabetes, either the pancreas produces insufficient insulin or cells in the body are resistant to the insulin produced. Because of this, sugar remains in the blood, leading to high blood sugar levels. This sugar builds up and the excess is responsible for complications including diseases of the heart, eye, kidney, nerves and other organs.
In Type 1 diabetes, previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes, the body’s immune system destroys the beta cells located in the pancreas. The pancreas is unable to produce any insulin and the hormone must be delivered from outside of the body through an injection or a pump. This condition is most common among children and young adults but can occur at any age. Approximately 5-10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes are Type 1.
In Type 2 diabetes, previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes, the usual cause of high sugar in the blood is due to insulin resistance. Cells do not respond to insulin and are unable to absorb glucose. Because the insulin is not able to be used, the pancreas continues to produce it at high rates and often Type 2 diabetics maintain a high level of insulin in their blood. Eventually, though, the pancreas is unable to meet the demand and gradually loses its ability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all diagnosed cases.
Gestational diabetes, diagnosed in some women during pregnancy, involves the inability to process glucose. After pregnancy, 5-10% of women are found to have Type 2 diabetes and 20-50% of those who have had gestational diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes at some time in their lives.
Pre-diabetes, formerly called borderline-diabetes, is a condition prior to diabetes where patients have marked metabolic difficulties. If not treated, these are likely to lead to Type 2 diabetes. There are 20.8 million diabetics in the United States, 7% of the overall population. Of these, approximately one-third are unaware they have the condition and are therefore untreated and at higher risk for complications. In addition, 41 million people are considered pre-diabetic.
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the USA. The risk of death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people of similar age who do not have diabetes. Although there is no known cure at this time for Type 2 diabetes, research continues to focus on controlling the condition so that complications of the disease may be avoided and diabetics can live long and healthy lives. It is known that heredity plays a factor in Type 2 diabetes but there is a strong interplay of environmental factors, such as weight and inactivity too.
The only known cure for Type 1 diabetes involves transplanting the pancreas so that the patient can again produce insulin. The surgery and its effects can be difficult and the immune system must be repressed to avoid rejection of these cells. Other research in this area involves transplanting the insulin-producing cells (islet cells) within the pancreas, developing an artificial pancreas or genetic manipulation by inserting normal human insulin genes into cells of the pancreas. A more recent advance in drug delivery systems means that short acting insulin is now available with an inhalation device rather than just by inection.
Diabetes The Basics You have just found out you have diabetes. No reason to be alarmed. You need to make some lifestyle changes to reduce the possibility of developing a serious situation from your new found ailment. A serious situation could be a heart attack, kidney problems, high blood pressure, vision loss, or an amputation of a limb, usually a foot. Taking the…
Diabetes and Heart Disease Diabetes has been shown to be one of the leading causes of cardiovascular problems. Diabetes, by itself, is a medical condition that to date has affected 194 million people worldwide, and the numbers are estimated to increase to 250 million by the next decade. The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. This is a common form of diabetes…
Diabetes - What Is The Dawn Phenomenon? If you are a diabetic like I am then you may know about the Dawn Phenomenon. Until I understood what this was all about, I would be completely frustrated every morning when I got up out of bed and tested my blood sugar level. It would always be much higher than it was when I went to bed. I couldn't figure out why. How could I go to bed with a…
Diabetes and its Management Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most costly burdensome chronic diseases of our time and is condition that is increasing in epidemic population in the whole world. The complications resulting from the diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and are associated with failure of various organs such as the eyes, kidneys and nerves.…
Diabetes - Living in Health Many people are already starting to catch up with the knowledge that your energy is directly proportional to what you put into your body (A.K.A. food). Studies have shown that if you eat a high "raw" vegetable diet, your energy will increase tenfold and you will have more vibrant health in your life. It is recommended to eat as most vegetables as…
Diabetes Camps Diabetes Camps Many Diabetic Kids feel isolated & lonely. Especially if they have very little interaction with other diabetics. Diabetes camp is an opportunity for them to meet other children just like themselves. Camp also teaches them valuable information about managing their disease. Many camps teach nutrition, how & when to test their blood…
Diabetes: So Far so Good There was this guy who jumped off the 37th floor of a tall building. As he fell, people at each floor inside the building heard him say as he passed them, "So far, so good…so far, so good… " Diabetes is a disease which cannot be "trusted." I know that's an odd way of putting it, but bear with me for a moment here. As a medical professional,…
Diabetes Management Tips Do you or someone you care about have diabetes? This common disease is usually progressive over several years’ time, and it can create many kinds of health problems for those who have it. If you suspect you have symptoms of a diabetic nature, make a list of their type and frequency and let your doctor know right away. Symptoms may include…
Diabetes - Facts and Statistics What is it? Diabetes is a disease where the body cannot properly produce or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that turns the foods you eat into energy. If your body cannot turn food into energy, not only will your cells be starved for energy, you will also build up glucose (sugar) in your blood. This will lead you to have "high blood glucose…
Diabetes and Latin Americans Approximately 41 million of USA population are Latin Americans. Almost every 7 man in USA. Latin Americans are the second largest group and the fastest growing population in USA. USA disease control centers report 1,5 million Latin Americans have diabetes and almost 5,4 million people in USA have diabetes and they are not aware of it. Minorities…
Diabetes - Natural Treatment Jose M. Flores, a Medicare beneficiary who lives outside McAllen, used the new drug benefit four times from January to April to purchase Byetta, an injectable medicine for diabetes. Each time he paid $40. So when he went to the pharmacy on May 25, he was dismayed to be told that he owed $167.56 for the next month's supply. Mr. Flores had reached…
Diabetes in the UK According to the charity, Diabetes UK, over 2 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK, yet it is believed there may be another million who are unaware that they have the disease. What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin to control blood sugar, allowing higher than normal…
Diabetes Causes Since there are different types of diabetes, each type has a unique possible cause. The main two causes of diabetes is the body’s failure to produce enough of the insulin hormone, and secondly the body develops a resistance to insulin. · Type 1 diabetes is due to decreased insulin production. · Type 2 is due to insulin resistance in peripheral…
Diabetes and Nutrition Diabetes is a medical condition which occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin for our bodies. Insulin, a hormone, is vital to the our health, as it regulates the functioning of the human body and good health in general. Left untreated Diabetes causes: Kidney failure, Blindness, Lack of Circulation, which results in the amputation…
Diabetes Is Starvation When you hear about type 2 diabetes there are usually two main explanations given for the problem. Either your body does not make enough insulin, orYour body has trouble using insulin, i.e. Insulin resistance. In many cases, both these situations are at play. These are the root cause of diabetes — lack of insulin or insulin resistance.…
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