TYPE 2 DIABETES

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is a collection of illnesses ensuing from one of the following situations: the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the body doesn't use insulin properly, the body doesn't make insulin. People with diabetes cannot use the energy they consume, and high glucose levels build up in the blood and urine, leading to a condition known as hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Large amounts of sugar in the urine require additional water, so that the sugar can be diluted for elimination. The body's increased need for water leads to a depletion of the body's water stores, causing excessive thirst and frequent urination. When the body becomes unable to completely break down glucose as a source of energy, fat must be used. Fat is metabolized differently than glucose, and its breakdown is incomplete when glucose is not available. Incomplete metabolism causes an excess amount of chemicals called ketone bodies to build up in the body. The build-up of ketones is used to perform the functions that glucose would perform under normal conditions (supplying energy), but the excess amounts of ketone bodies disrupt the body's chemical balance, altering the blood's chemistry and making it more acidic. Acidic conditions in the body are extremely hazardous. (Buchanan 2002, 701-710)

Diabetes can be a serious disorder. The symptoms include excessive thirst; increased urination; hunger; a tendency to tire easily; wounds that heal slowly; blurred vision; and frequent skin, vaginal, and urinary tract infections. Dehydration and the buildup of ketones can cause ketoacidosis (the accumulation of ketones) and nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, and drowsiness. Ketoacidosis often leads to severe sickness, coma, and even death. Of equal significance is that prolonged periods of elevated glucose levels disrupt normal enzyme and membrane functions. Chronic complications that may result are eye disease, kidney disorders, painful nerve and muscle symptoms, and decreased circulation. Diabetes is a leading cause of foot and leg amputations. Diabetes can also produce impotence in men and increased risk for heart disease and heart attacks in both genders.

Prevalence is becoming more common in American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanics. Rates are also increasing in white adolescents, but not at the same rate as that of the previously mentioned groups. Most researchers are attributing these alarming increases to sedentary lifestyles, overweight, and the poor nutritional habits of adolescents.

Discussion

Type 2 diabetes is the most widespread type and is found mainly in persons over the age of 41. Scientists believe that it is strongly linked to genetic factors. If an identical twin develops Type 2 diabetes, the other most likely will as well. People with Type 2 either develop a resistance to insulin activity or experience insufficient insulin action. Their bodies are usually capable of producing adequate amounts of insulin—something a person with Type 1 diabetes cannot do. The difficulty in Type 2 diabetes is that body cells become resistant to insulin at the receptor sites (the place where insulin attaches to the ...