| Diabetes affects the manner in which the body | | | | average amounts of insulin, but the cells of |
| handles digested carbohydrates. If neglected, | | | | the body have become unresponsive to its |
| diabetes can cause serious health | | | | effect due to the chronically high level of |
| complications, ranging from blindness to | | | | the hormone. Eventually the pancreas may |
| kidney failure.Approximately 8% of the | | | | exhaust its over-active secretion of the |
| population in the United States has diabetes. | | | | hormone, and insulin levels fall to below |
| This means that approximately 16 million | | | | normal.A tendency towards Type II diabetes is |
| people have been diagnosed with the disease, | | | | hereditary, but it is unlikely to develop in |
| based only on national statistics. The | | | | normal-weight individuals eating a low- or |
| American Diabetes Association estimates that | | | | moderate-carbohydrate diet. Obese, sedentary |
| diabetes accounts for 178,000 deaths, 54,000 | | | | individuals who eat poor-quality diets based |
| amputees, and 12,000-24,000 cases of | | | | on refined starch, which constantly activates |
| blindness annually. Blindness is 25 times | | | | pancreatic insulin secretion, are prone to |
| more common among diabetic patients compared | | | | develop insulin resistance. Native peoples |
| to nondiabetics. It is proposed that by the | | | | such as North American Indians whose |
| year 2010, diabetes will exceed both heart | | | | traditional diets did not include refined |
| disease and cancer as the leading cause of | | | | starch until its recent introduction by |
| death through its many | | | | Europeans have extremely high rates of |
| complications.Diabetics have a high level of | | | | diabetes, up to 5 times the rate of |
| blood glucose. The blood sugar level is | | | | caucasians. Blacks and hispanics are also at |
| regulated by insulin, a hormone produced by | | | | higher risk. Though Type II diabetes is not |
| the pancreas, which releases it in response | | | | fatal within a matter of months, it can lead |
| to food consumption. Insulin causes the cells | | | | to health complications over several years |
| of the body to take in glucose from the | | | | and cause severe disability and premature |
| blood. The glucose is used as fuel for | | | | death. As with Type I diabetes, the |
| cellular functions.Diagnostic standards for | | | | condition is found primarily in one age |
| diabetes have been fasting plasma glucose | | | | group, in this case people over 40 (which is |
| levels greater than 140 mg/dL on two | | | | why it is often termed Adult Onset); however, |
| occasions and plasma glucose greater than 200 | | | | with the rise in childhood and teenage |
| mg/dL following a 75-gram glucose load. More | | | | obesity, it is appearing in children as |
| recently, the American Diabetes Association | | | | well.If neglected, diabetes can lead to |
| lowered the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis | | | | life-threatening complications such as kidney |
| to fasting plasma glucose levels equal to or | | | | damage (nephropathy), heart disease, nerve |
| greater than 126 mg/dL. Fasting plasma levels | | | | damage (neuropathy), retinal damage and |
| outside the normal limit require additional | | | | blindness(retinopathy), and hypoglycemia |
| tests, usually by repeating the fasting | | | | (drastic reduction in glucose levels). |
| plasma glucose test and (if indicated) giving | | | | Diabetes damages blood vessels, especially |
| the patient an oral glucose tolerance | | | | smaller end-arteries, leading to severe and |
| test.The symptoms of diabetes include | | | | premature atherosclerosis. Diabetics are |
| excessive urination, excessive thirst and | | | | prone to foot problems because neuropathy, |
| hunger, sudden weight loss, blurred vision, | | | | which affects approximately 10% of patients, |
| delay in healing of wounds, dry and itchy | | | | causes their feet to lose sensation. Foot |
| skin, repeated infections, fatigue and | | | | injuries, common in day-to-day living, go |
| headache. These symptoms, while suggestive of | | | | unnoticed, and these injuries do not heal |
| diabetes, may be due to other reasons | | | | because of poor circulation through the small |
| also.There are two different types of | | | | arteries in the foot. Gangrene and subsequent |
| diabetes.Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes | | | | amputation of toes or feet is the consequence |
| or insulin-dependent diabetes): The cause of | | | | for many elderly patients with |
| type I diabetes is caused by pancreatic | | | | poorly-controlled diabetes. Usually these |
| inability to produce insulin. It is | | | | sequelae appear earlier in Type I than Type |
| responsible for 5-10% of cases of diabetes. | | | | II diabetes, because Type II patients have |
| The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, | | | | some of their own insulin production left to |
| which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by | | | | buffer changes in blood sugar levels.Type I |
| the body's own immune system, probably | | | | diabetes is a serious disease and there is no |
| because it mistakes them for a virus. Viral | | | | permanent cure for it. However, the symptoms |
| infections are thought to be the trigger that | | | | can be controlled by strict dietary |
| sets off this auto-immune disease. It is more | | | | monitering and insulin injections. Implanted |
| common in caucasians and runs in families.If | | | | pumps which release insulin immediately in |
| untreated, death occurs within a few months | | | | response to changes in blood glucose are in |
| of the onset of juvenile diabetes, as the | | | | the testing stages.In theory, since it caused |
| cells of the body starve because they no | | | | by diet, Type II diabetes should be |
| longer receive the hormonal prompt to take in | | | | preventable and manageable by dietary changes |
| glucose. While most Type I diabetics are | | | | alone, but in practice many diabetics (and |
| young (hence the term Juvenile Diabetes), the | | | | many obese people without diabetes) find it |
| condition can develop at any age. Autoimmune | | | | personally impossible to lose weight or |
| diabetes can be definitely diagnosed by a | | | | adhere to a healthy diet. Therefore they are |
| blood test which shows the presence of | | | | frequently treated with drugs which restore |
| anti-insulin/anti-islet-cell antibodies.Type | | | | the body's response to insulin, and in some |
| II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes | | | | cases injections of insulin.Please note that |
| or adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a | | | | this article is not a subsitute for medical |
| result of body tissues becoming resistant to | | | | advice. If you suspect you have diabetes or |
| insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. | | | | are in a high risk group, please see your |
| Often the pancreas is producing more than | | | | doctor. |