CASE 6 Flashcards
what is diabetes mellitus?
a syndrome of impaired carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism caused by either lack of insulin secretion or decreased sensitivity of the tissues to insulin
what are the 2 types of diabetes and what are they caused by?
- t1d = caused by lack of insulin secretion
- t2d = decreased sensitivity of target tissues to the metabolic effect of insulin aka. insulin resistance
what is blood glucsoe conc like in diabetes?
elevated as there is a decrease in glucose uptake
how does the utilisation of glucose/fats/protein change in diabetes?
cell utilisation of glucose falls increasingly lower, whereas utilisation of fats and protein increases
what are the most common signs and symptoms of diabetes?
- polyuria
- polydipsia
- polyphagia (increased hunger)
- xerostomia (dry mouth)
- weight loss
- fatigue
what leads to t1d?
injury to beta cells of the pancreas or diseases that impair insulin producton
what % of the islet of langerhans need to be destroyed to develop t1d?
90%
t1d may develop very abruptly, over a period of a few days or weeks, with what 3 principle sequelae?
- increased blood glucose
- increased utilisation of fats for energy for formation of cholesterol by the liver
- depletion of the body’s proteins for use of energy within the cells themselves
how does increased glucose in urine lead to dehydration?
partly because glucsoe does not diffuse easily throguh the pores of the CM, and the INCREASED OSMOTIC PRESSURE in the ECF causes osmotic transfer of water out of the cells
how does the loss of glucsoe in urine cause osmotic diuresis?
the osmotic effect of glucose in the renal tubules greatly decreases tubular reabsoprtion of fluid — the overall effect is massive loss of fluid in urine (due to glucsoe drawing water into the urine), causing dehydration of the ECF, which in turn causes compensatory dehydration of the ICF
what things do chronic high glucose concentrations increase the risk for?
- heart attack
- stroke
- end stage kidney disease
- retinopathy
- ischemia and gangrene of the limbs
- peripheral neuropathy
- autonomic NS dysfunction
_______ secondary to renal injury, and _______ secondary to abnormal lipid metabolism often develop in patients with diabetes and amplify the tissue damage caused by the elevated glucsoe
- hypertension
- atherosclerosis
the shift from carbohydrate to fat metabolism in diabetes increase the release of what? what is the result?
- release of keto acids such as acetoacetic acid and b-hydroxybutyric acid, into the plasma more rapidly than they can be taken up and oxidised by the tissue cells
- as a result patient can develop severe metabolic acidosis from the excess keto acids, which in association with dehydration due to excessive urine formation, can cause severe acidosis
what can severe acidosis rapidly lead to unless immediately treated with large amounts of insulin?
diabetic coma (pH < 7)
what does the excess fat utilisation in the liver over a long period of time cause?
large amounts of cholesterol in the circulating blood and increased deposition of cholesterol in the arterial walls, causing arteriosclerosis and other vascular lesions
why can rapid weight loss and asthenia (lack of energy) despite eating large amounts of food (polyphagia) occur in diabetes?
body’s failure to use glucsoe for energy leads to increased utilisation and decreased storayfe of proteins as well as fat
what is the most important risk factor for t2d?
obesity
what are risk factors for t2d?
- age >40 (>25 for south asians)
- genetics (FH)
- ethnicity
- obesity
- insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome)
- PCOS
- excess formation of glucocorticoids (cushing’s syndrome)
- excess formation of growth hormone (acromegaly)
what type of diabetes is associated with increased plasma insulin conc (hyperinsulinemia)?
2
why does hyperinsulinemia occur in t2d?
compensatory response by the pancreatic beta cells for diminished sensitivity of target tissues to the metabolic effects of insulin — insulin resistance
the decrease in insulin sensitivity imparts carbohydrate utilisation and storage, raising blood glucsoe and stimulating a compensatory increase in insulin secretion
what are reasons for insulin resistance?
- possibly fewer insulin receptor is in obese
- impaired insulin signalling appears to be closely related to toxic effects of lipid accumulation in tissues (obesity) — TNFa
- gene mutations that encode dysfunctional intracellular proteins involved in this signalling
what are features of metabolic syndrome?
- obesity — esp accumulation of adipose tissue in the abdominal cavity and the visceral organs
- insulin resistance — leading to increased blood glucose conc
- fasting hyperglycaemia
- lipid abnormalities such as increased blood triglycerides (cause atherosclerosis) and decreased blood HDL-cholesterol
- hypertension
what happens to beta cells in layer stages of t2d?
become exhausted — unable to produce enough insulin to prevent more severe hyperglycaemia, esp after the person ingests a carb rich mean
what are likely to occur in a state of severe hypoglycaemia?
colonic seizures and loss of consciousness