What is Diabetes?
It is a disease in which the level of blood sugar or blood glucose increases. Glucose in the blood comes from the food we take. A hormone called insulin helps the cells to absorb glucose so they can get energy. In type 1 diabetes pancreas lack to make insulin.
Type 2 is the more common type in which body is incapable of making and utilizing insulin well. If insulin in the body is not enough then the glucose in the blood stays for longer time. People can also have pre-diabetes it means the level of glucose in the blood is higher than normal but not that high to be called diabetes. If anyone is suffering from prediabtetes they are at high risk of developing type 2-diabetes.
With the passage of time, if the person is continuously having high level of glucose in the blood then it can cause some serious problems. Serious problems include damage of eyes, nerves and kidneys. Heart diseases and stroke are also caused by diabetes while in some severe cases need to remove the limb.
Gestational diabetes can also develop in pregnant women. Blood test is used to check if you are having diabetes. A1C is the type of test that shows how you are managing your diabetes. To control your diabetes, exercise, meal plan and weight control is the best way to adopt. You should monitor your level of glucose in the blood on regular basis and stick to the medicine if prescribed.
Types of diabetes:
Diabetes is called diabetes mellitus and it has different types that are
- Type 1 Diabetes: this is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the pancreas where insulin is made and destroys the cells. Cause of it is unclear yet but about 10% people are having this type of diabetes.
- Type 2 Diabetes: this is the most common type of diabetes and it happens when the body becomes resistant to the insulin and sugar in the blood raises.
- Prediabetes: it occurs the sugar level in the blood is higher than normal level, but not that high to consider it type 2-diabetes. People with prediabetes are at high risk for developing type 2-diabetes.
- Gestational Diabetes: in this type the sugar level is high during pregnancy. This type of diabetes is caused with the presence of insulin blocking hormones produced by placenta.
- One rare type of diabetes is inspidus diabetes, but it is not related to diabetes mellitus. In this condition too much fluid is removed from the body by kidney.
Causes of type 2 Diabetes:
The cause of type 2 diabetes is basically the conclusion of two interlinked problems that are
- Cells present in liver, fat and muscles develop resistance to insulin and this happens when these cells stop interacting with insulin in the normal way and the sugar level increases because they don’t take enough sugar in them.
- When pancreas fail to produce insulin that is enough to manage the level of sugar in blood.
Type 2 diabetes is also stem from genes and factors of lifestyle. This condition can be developed with the shared genes between families. Also being obese or overweight put you at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Extra weight in your belly makes insulin ineffective by making the cells resistant.
Sign and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes:
Sign and symptoms of type 2 diabetes are as follows:
- Frequent urination
- Thirst is increased
- Increased hunger
- Tiredness
- Blurry vision
- Wounds or sours that are very slow to heal
- Unintended loss of weight
- Infection rate is increased
- Tingling or numbness feels in the feet or hands
- Darkened areas especially around neck or armpits.
- Yeast Infections on repeat
- Being cranky
Risk factors for type 2 Diabetes(1)
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes are:
- Being overweight
- With the age 45 or older
- Living with the family member having type 2 diabetes
- If the person is not physically active
- History of gestational diabetes
- Being pre-diabetic
- Having problem of high BP and high cholesterol level or triglycerides
- Ancestry of Hispanic, Indian American, Latino American, African American, Pacific Islander and Asian American.
Diagnosis of type 2 Diabetes:
Glycated hemoglobin Test (A1C) is usually used to diagnose type2 diabetes. Blood test gives the result about the level of sugar in the blood for last three months and the results are quoted as
- Normal (<5.7%)
- Prediabetes (5.7% – 6.4%).
- If higher than 6.4% then two tests are performed separately for the diabetes indication.
Following tests are being performed if A1C test is not available to diagnose Diabetes type 2.
Random Blood sugar test:
Test is performed regardless of when you have eaten last time, it will diagnose diabetes if the level of sugar is higher than 200 mg/dL. And this can be performed when you sign and symptoms like frequent urination or increased thirst and hunger.
Fasting blood sugar test:
After overnight fast, blood sample is taken and the result shows:
- Normal (<100 mg/dL)
- Prediabetes (100 mg/dL -125 mg/dL).
- If higher than 126 mg/dL on two separate test indicated diabetes.
The Glucose tolerance test or OGTT:
You have to fast overnight and then drink a liquid of sugar at the hospital before test and the blood sugar undergoes testing for two hours. And the results are:
- Normal if lower than 140 mg/dL
- Prediabetes if results from 140 to 199 mg/dL
- Diabetes is diagnosed if the value is above 200 mg/dL
Treatment for Diabetes type 2 (2)
Doctor may suggest exercise and diet plan for some patients with diabetes type 2. But when the change in lifestyle fails to manage then medication is prescribed that are:
Alpha glucosidase inhibitors:
Alpha glucosidase inhibitors work by slowing down the process of breakdown of sugar and starchy foods. Drugs given are Acarbose and miglitol.
Biguanides:
This medicine works by reducing the amount of sugar or glucose made by liver. Example is Metformin.
PP 4 inhibitors:
It works by improve the level of blood sugar without dropping it to low. Example includes linagliptin, sitagkiptin and saxagliptin.
Glucagon like peptides
It works by changing the way how body produces insulin. Examples are Dulaglutide, exenatide and liraglutide.
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