Sunday, July 4, 2010

What is diabetes mellitus


what is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes - 3 Answers
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1 :
It's sugar diabetes, as opposed to water diabetes (diabetes insipidus). The pancreas either doesn't produce enough insulin, or doesn't produce any insulin. Sometimes the body's cells are resistant to insulin, too. There's a heck of a lot more. I advise using your favorite search engine if you have further questions. In fact, that's usually the first thing I do, if I have questions, is use a search engine.
2 :
If you are a health-conscious person, you would have come across the word diabetes mellitus or even heard of it a few times yourself. Thus, with that in mind, I will focus briefly on the aspect of classification and non-pharmacological therapy of DM. Classification of Diabetes Type 1 DM Type 1 DM is known as insulin-dependent DM as patients have little or unable to synthesize insulin hormone. Hence the name, they will eventually be dependent on insulin injection for their survival. This type of DM is a result of the autoimmune destruction of ²-cells (which produces the insulin hormone) in the pancreas. It mostly occurs in adolescent and children. In general, they are less than 30 years old with a lean body habitus. However in some cases, it could also be found at any age group. Type 2 DM On the other hand, Type 2 DM is different from Type 1 in which it is characterized by insulin resistance where in the initial stage, it lacks of insulin secretion. In such a case, although the pancreas retains some ability to produce insulin but it is insufficient to convert the blood glucose to glucagon following the body's needs resulting in accumulation of blood glucose. Alternatively, the body cells can also become resistant towards the insulin produced by the ²-cells. As a result, blood glucose level is increased and led to hyperglycemia (high blood glucose level). Most individuals with type 2 DM exhibit abdominal obesity which itself can cause insulin resistance. Furthermore, patient usually has co-existence of other medical disorders such as hypertension, dyslipidemia (high triglyceride levels and low HDL-cholesterol levels), and heart diseases. Clustering of abnormalities is normally referred as "insulin-resistance syndrome" which can also increase the risk of developing macrovascular complications (ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease). Owing to its gradual development in the age of onset and average of more than 30 years old in most patients, Type 2 is also known as maturity-onset DM. This type of DM is highly genetic predisposition regardless to ethnicity. Gestational DM GDM is defined as glucose intolerance which is found during pregnancy. It has complicated about 7% of all pregnancies. It is important to have a early clinical detection in pregnant women whereby such therapy will help to reduce the perinatal morbidity and mortality risk. Non-Pharmacologic Therapy Regardless of the type of DM, patient should take initiative in preventing the complications of DM. Apart from prescribed medications by doctor; non-pharmacologic therapies should not be neglected as well. Diet This is one of the cornerstones in DM management. Success cannot be achieved without a proper diet therapy even though if you comply fully with your given medications. The followings are general recommendations: 1.Obtain counseling from a dietitian on individual nutrition based on your health conditions. This is aim to provide a balanced diet to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. 2.Restrict intake of high sugar-containing foods such as cakes and ice-cream and other carbohydrates. 3.Reduction of intake of saturated fats in all diabetic patients as it can complicate their abnormal medical conditions. Physical Activity Most diabetic patients can benefit from increased physical activity such as walking, aerobic exercise, gardening and cycling. However, the type and intensity should be individualized. For example, an older patient should have a cardiovascular evaluation including a graded exercise test with imaging prior to beginning a moderate to intense exercise regimen. It is advisable for those previously having a sedentary lifestyle patient to start exercise slowly. Preferably, a daily minimum of 3-5 times per weeks with at least 30 minutes each session. It is a good thing that physical activities are cumulative where three 10 minute sessions in a day is equivalent to a 30 minute session. This is most encouraging and you will no longer has any excuse to neglect the importance of physical activities. Hope this helps.
3 :
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin to meet its needs. Urination and thirst are increased, and people lose weight when they are not trying to. Diabetes damages the nerves and causes problems with sensation. Diabetes damages blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Doctors diagnose diabetes by measuring blood sugar levels. People with diabetes need to follow a low-sugar, low-fat diet, exercise, and usually take drugs. Insulin, a hormone released from the pancreas, controls the amount of sugar in the blood. When people eat or drink, food is broken down into materials, including the simple sugar glucose, that the body needs to function. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin allows sugar to move from the blood into the cells. Once inside the cells, it is converted to energy, which is either used immediately or stored as fat or glycogen until it is needed. The levels of sugar in the blood vary normally throughout the day. They rise after a meal and return to normal within about 2 hours after eating. Once the levels of sugar in the blood return to normal, insulin production decreases. The variation in blood sugar levels is usually within a narrow range, about 70 to 110 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. If people eat a large amount of carbohydrates, the levels may increase more. People older than 65 years tend to have slightly higher levels, especially after eating. If the body does not produce enough insulin to move the sugar into the cells, the resulting high levels of sugar in the blood and the inadequate amount of sugar in the cells together produce the symptoms and complications of diabetes. Doctors often use the full name diabetes mellitus, rather than diabetes alone, to distinguish this disorder from diabetes insipidus, a relatively rare disorder that does not affect blood sugar levels (see Pituitary Gland Disorders: Central Diabetes Insipidus). Types Prediabetes: Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are too high to be considered normal but not high enough to be labeled diabetes. People have prediabetes if their fasting blood sugar level is between 101 mg/dL and 126 mg/dL or if their blood sugar level 2 hours after a glucose tolerance test is between 140 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL. Identifying people with prediabetes is important because the condition carries a higher risk for future diabetes as well as heart disease. Decreasing body weight by 5 to 10 % through diet and exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing future diabetes. Type 1: In type 1 diabetes (formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes), more than 90% of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are permanently destroyed. The pancreas, therefore, produces little or no insulin. Only about 10% of all people with diabetes have type 1 disease. Most people who have type 1 diabetes develop the disease before age 30. Scientists believe that an environmental factor—possibly a viral infection or a nutritional factor in childhood or early adulthood—causes the immune system to destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. A genetic predisposition may make some people more susceptible to the environmental factor. Type 2: In type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes), the pancreas continues to produce insulin, sometimes even at higher-than-normal levels. However, the body develops resistance to the effects of insulin, so there is not enough insulin to meet the body's needs. Take care Tin






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Posted by Diabetes Melitus at 9:47 AM