Diabetes

Question 1

What is diabetes?

Answer 1

Chronic condition where the
body cannot regulate blood sugar (glucose)
levels effectively.

Question 2

How does insulin help regulate blood sugar?

Answer 2

It’s a hormone produced by the pancreas
that allows glucose to enter cells.

Question 3

How does the liver help regulate blood sugar?

Answer 3

Stores glucose as glycogen and
releases it when blood sugar is low.

Question 4

What is glucose homeostasis?

Answer 4

The balance between
insulin and glucose.

Question 5

Type 1 diabetes

Answer 5

Autoimmune disease where the
pancreas produces little to no insulin.

Question 6

Type 2 diabetes

Answer 6

A condition where the body
becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce
enough.

Question 7

Gestational diabetes

Answer 7

Develops during pregnancy
and can affect both mother and baby.

Question 8

What are some symptoms of diabetes?

Answer 8

• Frequent urination (polyuria)
• Excessive thirst (polydipsia)
• Extreme hunger (polyphagia)
• Fatigue and weakness
• Blurred vision
• Slow healing of wounds

Question 9

Short-term complications of diabetes

Answer 9

Hypoglycemia (low
blood sugar), Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Question 10

Long-term complications of diabetes

Answer 10

• Cardiovascular disease
• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Foot ulcers and infections

Question 11

What oral medication is often given for type 2 and what does it do?

Answer 11

Metformin lowers blood sugar levels by improving way the body handles insulin

Question 12

Role of carb counting

Answer 12

Carbs are broken down into glucose.
Insulin dose needs to match with how many carbs have been consumed. Everyone will have their own Insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio based on weight, activity level and sensitivity to insulin.
Grams of carbs consumed/insulin to carb ratio=units of bolus insulin
Carbs can either be calculated in grams or carbohydrate portions, so 1 CP may equate to 10g.

Question 13

Glycemic index

Answer 13

A rating system that ranks carbohydrates on a scale of 1 to 100 based on how much they raise blood sugar. Processed foods such as candy, breads, cake, and cookies have a high GI, while whole foods such as unrefined grains, non-starchy vegetables, and fruits tend to have a lower GI.

Question 14

Importance of exercise in managing diabetes

Answer 14

Improves insulin sensitivity, lowers
blood sugar, helps with weight management.

Question 15

Target blood sugar before meals

Answer 15

4-7mmols/L.

Question 16

Target blood sugar 2 hours after meal

Answer 16

Under 10mmols/L

Question 17

Lifestyle tips for managing diabetes

Answer 17

• Quit Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of
  complications.
• Stress Management: High stress can elevate
  blood sugar levels.
• Adequate Sleep: Poor sleep can lead to poor
  blood sugar control.
• Regular Checkups: Ensure timely health
  assessments and prevent complications.

Question 18

Diabetes insipidus

Answer 18

Rare condition where kidneys are unable to conserve water properly when filtering blood. Caused by lack of ADH hormone which enables kidneys to retain water in body (prevent dehydration). This is different to diabetes mellitus.

Question 19

Type 1A diabetes

Answer 19

Your immune system is so overactive that it is destroying normal beta cell tissue. The telltale signs of this destruction are detectable by a laboratory blood test. The test looks for markers.

Question 20

Type 1B diabetes

Answer 20

If there is no evidence in your blood that your immune system is attacking beta cells and the second, if you have alternating cycles where you need and then don’t need insulin replacement. This form of the disease is unusual and most often diagnosed in those of African or Asian heritage.

Question 21

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Answer 21

It’s where a lack of insulin causes harmful substances called ketones to build up in the blood. It can be life threatening and needs urgent treatment in hospital.
Symptoms: feeling thirsty
needing to pee more often
stomach pain, feeling sick or being sick
diarrhoea
breathing more deeply than usual
breath that smells fruity (like pear drop sweets or nail polish remover)
feeling tired, sleepy or confused
blurred vision
It can be life threatening if too high

Question 22

What happens in body during diabetic ketoacidosis?

Answer 22

The body doesn’t have enough of a hormone called insulin, which usually creates energy by letting blood sugar into your cells. Instead, your body starts to break down fat for energy, causing ketones to develop in your blood. If your body makes too many ketones at once, the buildup damages your body and makes your blood too acidic, which is called ketoacidosis.

Question 23

Role of insulin

Answer 23

It is made by beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin’s main job is to move glucose from our bloodstream into the body’s cells to make energy. If you don’t have enough insulin, glucose builds up in your bloodstream rather than getting into your cells to provide energy.

Question 24

Gluconeogenesis

Answer 24

The production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources