diabetes

Examples of diabetes in the following topics:

• Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

  • Diabetes mellitus type 1 (Type 1 diabetes, T1DM, formerly insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.
  • Eventually, type 1 diabetes is fatal unless treated with insulin.
  • The appearance of diabetes-related autoantibodies has been shown to be able to predict the appearance of diabetes type 1 before any hyperglycemia arises.
  • Type 1 diabetes is not currently preventable.
  • Untreated type 1 diabetes commonly leads to coma, often from diabetic ketoacidosis, which is fatal if untreated.

• Metabolic Changes

  • Protein and carbohydrate metabolism are affected during pregnancy and maternal insulin resistance can lead to gestational diabetes.
  • Maternal insulin resistance can lead to gestational diabetes.
  • Gestational diabetes (or gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM) is a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy (especially during the third trimester).
  • Gestational diabetes is caused when the insulin receptors do not function properly.
  • Gestational diabetes generally has few symptoms and it is most commonly diagnosed by screening during pregnancy.

• Urinary Incontinence

  • One of the symptoms of urinary incontinence is polyuria (excessive urine production) which in turn is caused by uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, primary polydipsia (excessive fluid drinking), central diabetes insipidus, and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
  • Polyuria (excessive urine production) of which, in turn, the most frequent causes are: uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, primary polydipsia (excessive fluid drinking), central diabetes insipidus, and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

• Fluids and Aging

  • Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common among young people, particularly those who are overweight.
  • Although diabetic nephropathy is generally more common among older diabetics, occurring 10 - 20 years after onset of diabetes, half of all Pima Indians with Type 2 diabetes have developed diabetic nephropathy by age 20.
  • Chronic conditions that can produce nephropathy include systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure (hypertension), which lead to diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive nephropathy, respectively.

• Disease as Homeostatic Imbalance

  • Diabetes, a metabolic disorder caused by excess blood glucose levels, is a key example of disease caused by failed homeostasis.
  • People with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin due to auto-immune destruction of the insulin producing cells, while people with type 2 diabetes have chronic high blood glucose levels that cause insulin resistance. 
  • This causes metabolic changes that result in diabetes symptoms like weakened blood vessels and frequent urination.
  • Diabetes is normally treated with insulin injections, which replaces the missing negative feedback of normal insulin secretions.
  • This can lead to diabetes.

• Insulin Secretion and Regulation of Glucagon

  • When control of insulin levels fails, diabetes mellitus can result.
  • As a consequence, insulin is used medically to treat some forms of diabetes mellitus.
  • Patients with type 1 diabetes depend on external insulin (most commonly injected subcutaneously) for their survival because the hormone is no longer produced internally.
  • Patients with type 2 diabetes are often insulin resistant and, because of such resistance, they may suffer from a relative insulin deficiency.
  • Some patients with type 2 diabetes may eventually require insulin if other medications fail to control blood glucose levels adequately.

• Edema Caused by Loss of Plasma Proteins

  • Kidney disease is one of the most serious complications of diabetes.
  • After years of diabetes, the filtering units of the kidney—called glomeruli—get scarred and cannot filter the blood efficiently.
  • It can also occur in patients with long-standing diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes.
  • Microalbuminuria between 30 and 300 mg/24h, mg/l of urine or µg/mg of creatinine can be a forerunner of diabetic nephropathy.

• Pancreatic Islet Disorders: Diabetes and Hyperinsulinism

  • The most common forms of hypoglycemia occur as a complication of treatment of diabetes mellitus with insulin or oral medications.
  • Hypoglycemia is less common in non-diabetic persons, but can occur at any age.

• Pancreatic Cancer

  • Diabetes mellitus, or elevated blood sugar levels.
  • Many patients develop diabetes months to even years before they are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, suggesting new onset diabetes in an elderly individual may be an early warning sign.
  • Diabetes mellitus is both a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and as noted earlier, new onset diabetes can be an early sign of the disease.

• Muscular Atrophy