feedburner
Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

feedburner count

What is diabetes?

Labels: ,

What is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition caused by too much glucose in your blood. Your blood sugar level can be too high if your body doesn't make enough of the hormone insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach) and moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy.

If diabetes is not treated, it can cause long-term health problems because the high glucose levels in the blood damage the blood vessels.

Type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes
In type 1 diabetes the body produces little or no insulin. Someone with this type of diabetes needs treatment for the rest of their life. They must check the levels of glucose in their blood regularly and watch out for complications. Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes or early onset diabetes because it usually develops before the age of 40, often in the teenage years.

You're more at risk of type 1 diabetes if it runs in your family.

Type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes
Nine out of 10 people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which means their body doesn't make enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes used to be referred to as maturity onset diabetes because it occurs mostly in people over the age of 40.

Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to obesity. You're also more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if:

  • you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol,
  • type 2 diabetes runs in your family,
  • you're of Asian, Afro-Caribbean or Middle-Eastern background, or
  • you're a woman who has given birth to a large baby (over 9 lbs/4 kg).

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes also increases as you get older.

Gestational diabetes
Some pregnant women have such high levels of glucose in their blood that their body cannot produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes or diabetes in pregnancy. It affects less than one in 20 pregnant women. Gestational diabetes usually disappears after the baby is born. However, women who develop gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. The Diabetes UK website has more information about gestational diabetes.

Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes occurs when blood glucose levels exceed normal levels, but don't climb high enough to warrant a diagnosis of diabetes. If pre-diabetes is left untreated it may develop into type 2 diabetes.

It could be possible to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes if you find out about your pre-diabetes early enough. Adjustments to diet and exercise can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes by almost 60%. Reducing your weight by 10%, and taking part in modest physical activity for 30 minutes daily, could also reduce your risk.








blog comments powered by Disqus