Cyndrome

Archive for November, 2011

Diabetes Mellitus is a syndrome in which the pancreas turns out little or no insulin at all, a hormone that assists the body’s tissues absorb sugar (glucose) to be used as an energy resource. The situation may also develop if muscle, fat, and liver cells react weakly to insulin. In diabetics, blood sugar levels build up in the blood and urine, resulting in too much urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism. Diabetes mellitus is a bit different from the less familiar diabetes insipidus, which is caused by the deficiency of the hormone vasopressin that controls the amount of urine that is to be secreted.

Although diabetes symptoms don’t always show in the early stages; In adults over 45 years of age, diabetes is quite common; as it is in physically inactive or overweight people; diabetes is also common in persons who have diabetics in their immediate family; and in people of African, Hispanic, and Native American descent. The highest rate of diabetes in the world occurs in Native Americans. It has also been observed over the years that more women than men have been diagnosed with this disease.

Diabetes comes in two forms. In type one diabetes, which more often than not begins during childhood, the pancreas discontinues making insulin altogether. Type one diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. Type two diabetes; usually starts in adulthood. The body still produces insulin but not really enough, or at times the insulin cannot be used as it should be. Type two is also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

After a person has fasted for around about eight hours, physicians diagnose diabetes by administering an oral glucose tolerance test, which measures glucose levels before and after a specific amount of sugar has been ingested. An additional test being developed for Type 1 diabetes searches for unambiguous antibodies at hand only in persons with diabetes. This test may detect Type 1 diabetes at before time, dipping the risk of a complication from the disease.

Once diabetes is identified, treatment consists of keeping the quantity of sugar in the blood under control to prevent complications. Depending on the type of diabetes, this can be done through regular physical exercise, a carefully controlled diet, and medicines.

Folks with diabetes type one need insulin injections, sometimes two to four times a day, to give the body the insulin it fails to produce on its own. The amount of insulin required differs from person to person and may be influenced by things such as that individual’s level of physical activity, diet, and the existence of other health disorders. In general, individuals with Type 1 diabetes use a meter several times a day to measure the level of glucose in a drop of their blood obtained by pricking the fingertip. By doing this, they can adjust the amount of insulin administered, physical exercise, or food consumption to preserve the blood sugar at the normal level. People with Type 1 diabetes must watchfully control their diet by allocating meals and snacks throughout the day so as not to overpower the ability of the insulin supply to help cells absorb glucose. They also need to eat food that has complex sugars, which break down little by little and cause a slower rise in glucose levels.

And finally, consulting a good diabetes blog, although no substitute for a good physician’s advice in severe cases, can give you excellent pointers regarding positive lifestyle changes to stay one step ahead of diabetes.

While medical researchers have so far not been able to nail down exactly what causes diabetes, you’d do well to take note of certain factors from this diabetes blog post, that have been linked to the development of diabetes.

Causes of diabetes – Genetics

Genetics is a main factor. It has been known for ages that diabetes can be inherited. Nonetheless, the pattern of inheritance happens to be far from fully understood. Statistics indicate that people with diabetic family members are at a higher risk of acquiring diabetes than those without. In cases of families where diabetes is common the risk factor is about thirty percent higher.

One main cause of diabetes, especially type-2 diabetes being inherited is the diabetes gene. However, even you acquire diabetes genetically and even though it is beyond your control, that still doesn’t mean that you have to suffer badly because of it. There is no cure for diabetes mellitus in the full sense of the term, but it can be efficiently kept under control.

Causes of diabetes – Diet

Overeating, say medical scientists, is one of the main causes of diabetes.it is very important to maintain a healthy diet to control diabetes. Diabetes has been described by most medical scientists as a prosperity disease, for the most part caused by regular overeating. Not only is ingesting too much sugar and refined carbohydrates damaging, but proteins and fat, which are transformed into sugar, may also cause diabetes if taken in excess.

It is remarkable to note that diabetes is almost unheard of in countries where folks happen to be underprivileged and cannot afford to overindulge.

The prevalence of diabetes is directly linked with the eating of processed foods rich in refined carbohydrates, such as pudding, cake, bread and chocolate.

Causes of diabetes – Obesity

Obesity is a key contributor to diabetes. Research has shown that between sixty five and eighty percent of diabetics tend to be obese. In the United States alone, about eighty percent of type –2 non-insulin dependent diabetics are said to be obese.

The proper working of insulin in the body is hampered by excess fat.  The tissue cells in the body and the muscles as well become resistant to insulin due to the large amount of fatty tissue. Insulin allows the glucose in the blood to enter the cells by acting on the receptor sites on the surface of the cells.

Once people grow older and pass a certain age, they tend to put on weight, and the same time,  and many a time a lot of these people develop a mild form of diabetes.

Causes of diabetes – Lifestyle

Being active and living an active life is very important. Folks that lead less active lives and refrain from physical exercise are at a very high risk of getting diabetes. Work these days has become quite easy because of all the latest technology, physical activity is at a minimum. Physical activity and exercise help keep weight under contro. Consequently, the workload on the pancreas is reduced.

Talking about diabetes, this is how shocking the rise of obesity has become: according to the Surgeon General’s office, the number of obese or overweight adults in this country is around about fifty percent higher than it was just ten years ago. The latest studies have estimated that about a third of the children born in 2010 will develop Type 2 Diabetes, which was once called adult-onset diabetes and is for the most part driven by excessive weight. And possibly most troubling of all: over the last ten years the number of deaths directly related to obesity-inspired diseases has risen by a whopping thirty three percent.

Obesity is a big contributor to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Diabetes leads to a heightened risk of limb amputation, blindness, heart disease, and kidney problems. The close relationship between excessive weight and diabetes cannot be ignored. Which is why it’s so essential for those who have pre-diabetes or have Type 2 Diabetes to keep an eye on their body mass index?

Diabetes – What is BMI?

Body mass index also known as just BMI, what is it exactly?  It is a simply calculated number which tells you the percentage of your of body weight that comprises of fat. Although this number is not a hundred percent accurate, particularly when the calculation is based solely on height and weight, it’s a good educated guess. Surely good enough to use as a guide if you get on a weight loss program. Other factors that are normally taken into consideration are sex and age.

The most precise way to find out your body mass index is by working with your doctor. Not only can he give you some additional insight into the meaning of the number, he can recommend the best way you can go about losing weight, you can find more information regarding the same on a good diabetes blog.

Nevertheless, if you want to know where you stand on the BMI scale, it is quite easy to find a BMI calculator on the internet . The quickest way to finding a calculator is by doing a search for the term “BMI” or “body mass index” on a search engine such as Google.

Diabetes – What does your BMI tell you?

After you have found your BMI number, you will want to know what it means. As a rule of thumb, for adults a body mass index of less than 20 means that the person is underweight, and if the BMi happens to be more than 25 it is overweight, and over 30 is obese. For a more detailed idea of where you fall in the index, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute will give you a complete Body Mass Index Table for your convenience.

All said and done: if you happen to be overweight, you are at risk of getting diabetes. Diabetes symptoms are not easily detected, yet it can cause kidney failure, heart disease, a stroke and one might even have to amputate a limb. This is why, to keep diabetes at bay, it’s so essential to keep a close eye on your weight and particularly your body mass index.