Diabetes Flashcards
Hyperinsulinemia
Abnormally high levels of insulin. This is typically caused by the body’s response to insulin resistance and trying to correct that hyperglycaemia.
Metabolic Syndrome
Collective of risk factors that increase the risk of stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- To be diagnosed you need to have at least 3/5 risk factors which include
○ High waist circumference
○ Hypertension
○ Elevated triglycerides
○ Low HDL cholesterol
○ Elevated fasting glucose
Pre diabetes
Before type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as type 2.
Non modifiable risk factors for T2D
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Increasing age
- Family history
- Hormonal disorders (PCOS)
Type 2 diabetes symptoms
- Extreme fatigue or irritability
- Polydipsia or polyphagia
- Polyuria
- Frequent infections
- Poor wound healing
- Tingling or numbness in hands/ feet
- Blurred vision or dizziness
Type 2 diabetes symptoms
- Extreme fatigue or irritability
- Polydipsia or polyphagia
- Polyuria
- Frequent infections
- Poor wound healing
- Tingling or numbness in hands/ feet
- Blurred vision or dizziness
Extreme Fatigue/ Irritability
Note that people that are experiencing fatigue may not be able to answer all the questions or we may not be able to get as in-depth answers as we would like.
May also become irritable after a short amount of time. Get the key information first and then gauge how people are feeling.
Increased hunger and thirst
Not only check how appetite is but also have they experienced changes and if so, how long has this been going on for, how much are we talking (on a scale 1-10), and then consider if this is linked to other factors including weight changes and the time frames for this
Poor Wound Healing
Even if they are small ones, and how long have they had them for. Particularly on the feet as these can take a long time to heal and can lead to much more serious complications. Are they meeting the RDI for vitamin A, Zinc and vitamin C.
- Do they need adjusted nutrition requirements - Do they need a wound healing supplement?
Blurred vision
Consider education material - if they can actually read these
- Note some people may be too embarrassed to say something upfront
- Important to check before giving out things
- How is your eyesite?
- Would you prefer I talk you through the information
- This also gives people a chance to let you know how they prefer to receive information
○ Documents with large text, allow people to grab their glasses, prefer pictures, using teach back approach
Dizziness
Usually in hospital cases
- Make sure they stay lying down - they don’t need to be sitting up to answer our questions
Diagnosis of diabetes
- Fasting and random blood glucose level (FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or RBG ≥ 11.1 mmol/L) confirmed by a second abnormal FBG on a separate day.
- Oral glucose tolerance test
- HbA1C ≥ 6.5% on 2 separate occasions (percentage of glycated haemoglobin present in the blood for 2-3 months)
a. Also used to measure overall diabetes control
Complications of type 2 diabetes
- Retinopathy and blindness
- Heart and disease or stroke
- Nephropathy
- Hypertension
- Diabetic foot - Ulceration and amputation
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Severe periodontal disease
- Complications/ birth defects
- Neuropathy
- Loss of sensitivity
Reversal of type 2 diabetes
There is currently no ‘cure’ (not permanent), but people can have ‘complete remission’ or ‘partial remission’ when treated early and effectively
- This is indicated by fasted glucose returning to normal range - Medications are no longer required - Generally success occurs through early diet and lifestyle intervention and/or weight loss of at least 10% body weight (gastric bypass surgery primary example).
When does gestational diabetes usually occur?
Usually occurs in 24th to 28th week of pregnancy
Macrosomia
Baby larger than 4 kg due to large amounts of available glucose