Diabetes Flashcards
Provide a definition of diabetes mellitus
- a syndrome
- caused by lack/diminished insulin
- results in hyperglycaemia and changes to metabolism
What is type 1 diabetes?
- body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin producing cells
What is type 2 diabetes?
- the body does not produce enough insulin OR the body’s cells do not react to insulin
What are the causes, ages and treatment options for type 1 diabetes?
- usually juvenile onset, but can occur at any age
- associated with autoimmune disease
- cause unknown
- PT always need insulin
Which populations are effected by type 2 diabetes?
- older age group > 40 yo
- obese
- may require insulin eventually
Which type of diabetes is more common?
- 90% of adults with diabetes have type 2
Signs + Symptoms of acute type 2 diabetes
- ketoacidosis
- hyperventilation
- weight loss
- polyuria and polydipsia
Signs + Symptoms of subacute type 2 diabetes
- ketoacidosis
- hyperventilation
- weight loss
- polyuria and polydipsia
- lethargy
- infection
What are the complications of diabetes?
- infections
- neuropathy
- retinopathy
- arterial disease
What causes secondary diabetes?
- drugs (steroids)
- pancreatic disease
- hemochromatosis (too much iron in blood)
- cystic fibrosis
- endocrine disease
What is the test for diabetes and the levels?
- HbA1c normal < 42 mmol/mol (below 6%)
- prediabetes 42 <>47 mmol/mol (6-6.4%)
- diabetes 48 mmol/mol (6.5%+)
What are the risk factors for type 1 diabetes
- unknown
What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
- obesity
- physically inactive
- smoking
- unhealthy diet
What medications are available?
- insulin
- oral hypoglycaemias (increase insulin secretion)
- metformin (increases insulin sensitivity)
- acarbose (slows down the breakdown of starch)
What are the complications of diabetes?
- retinopathy
- diabetic foot
- neuropathy
What is diabetic retinopathy?
- early stage: blood vessels weaken/bulge/leak => non-proliferation diabetic retinopathy
- late stage: blood vessels close => new blood vessels proliferate => proliferation diabetic retinopathy => new vessels impair vision
What is diabetic macular oedema?
- swelling in macular => destroys sharp vision => partial vision loss/blindness
What is glaucoma?
- group of eye diseases that can damage the optic nerve (increased pressure in the eye due to reduced drainage either in front or behind the lens of the eye)
- double changes of having glaucoma with diabetes
What are the signs and symptoms of retinopathy/glaucoma?
- blurry vision
- poor colour vision
- frequently changing vision from day to day
- spots or dark string (floaters)
- dark areas of vision loss
- flashes of light
What are the types of diabetic neuropathy?
- peripheral neuropathy
- autonomic neuropathy
- focal neuropathy
- proximal neuropathy
