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