Diabetes

Question 1

how many types of diabetes are there?

Answer 1

there are 2 types of diabetes

Question 2

what are the other names for type 1 diabetes?

Answer 2

insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile -onset diabetes because it usually starts in childhood

Question 3

what is type 1 diabetes?

Answer 3

type 1 diabetes is when the body is no longer able to produce sufficient insulin and it cannot store excess glucose as glycogen

Question 4

what is thought to cause type 1 diabetes?

Answer 4

• insulin producing cells - beta cells - become damaged
• by body’s own immune system - antibodies
• there is also often a genetic link
• the condition can also thought to be triggered by a virus or other environmental factor

Question 5

what is the effect of a type 1 diabetic not having enough insulin?

Answer 5

insufficient insulin means diabetics are unable to take up glucose

Question 6

what is the treatment and control of type 1 diabetes?

Answer 6

• insulin injections
• glucose concentrations must be monitored
• pancreas transplant
• insulin pump therapy
• islet cell transplantation

Question 7

why are insulin injections often injected into the fat layer just beneath the skin - subcutaneous fat layer?

Answer 7

because fat easily absorbs insulin

Question 8

what is insulin pump therapy?

Answer 8

insulin pump therapy is a small device that constantly pumps insulin at a controlled rate into the blood stream through a needle that is permanently inserted under the skin

Question 9

how does an islet cell transplantation work?

Answer 9

healthy beta cells from the pancreas of a deceased donor are implanted into the pancreas of someone with type 1 diabetes

Question 10

do type 1 and type 2 diabetes have a cure?

Answer 10

NO

Question 11

what is the other name for type 2 diabetes?

Answer 11

type 2 is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes. A person with type 2 can still produce insulin, however, their responsiveness to insulin declines

Question 12

why is there a decline in a type 2 diabetic’s response to insulin?

Answer 12

• target organs do not respond properly i.e. resistant

Question 13

what factors are thought to increase a persons risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

Answer 13

• increasing age
• family history
• more common in males
• more common in some ethnic groups
  (African/Asian/Hispanic/oceanic)
• obesity BMI>27
• high/frequent intake of sugar
• lack of physical activity
• high blood pressure
• excessive alcohol intake

Question 14

give examples of how to treat and control type 2 diabetes?

Answer 14

• carefully monitoring diet
  i.e eating small amounts at regular intervals
  avoiding eating sugar/carbohydrate
  as this helps to reduce peaks in blood glucose levels
• carefully monitoring diet may also be supplemented with insulin injections

Question 15

what animals can is insulin taken from?

Answer 15

for 60 years insulin was extracted from pancreas of pig and cattle carcasses

Question 16

describe the pros and cons of animal insulin?

Answer 16

animal insulin works well on the whole 
but is not an exact match with the human hormone
and sometimes causes adverse reactions
e.g. skin rashes
it was also expensive

Question 17

how long has genetically-engineered bacteria been used as a source of insulin?

Answer 17

since the 1980s insulin can be produced by bacteria that has been genetically modified

Question 18

what are the advantages of genetically modified bacteria?

Answer 18

• plentiful/dependable supply
• cheap to manufacture
• more ethical not cruel to pigs
• exact match to human insulin so no allergic reaction or rejection due to an immune response
• no religious objections