Diabetes and its control Flashcards
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which is caused by an inability to control blood glucose concentration due to a lack of the hormone insulin or a loss of responsiveness to insulin.
Describe type 1 diabetes and how it is controlled.
Type 1 is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin. It can be controlled by insulin injections. The dosage must be the same as the intake of glucose as if too much insulin is taken then this causes a low blood glucose concentration which can result in unconsciousness. To ensure the right dosage is taken then the glucose concentration is monitored by biosensors.
Describe type 2 and how it’s controlled.
Type 2 is normally due to glycoproteins receptors on body cells being lost or losing their responsiveness to insulin. However it may be due to an inadequate supply of insulin from the pancreas. Often develops in over 40s, however many more cases have been seen in adolescents due to rising obesity levels and bad diets. Can often be controlled by regulating the amount of carbohydrate in the diet and matching this with the amount of exercise done. This may be supplemented with insulin injections or by the use of a drug which stimulates inulin production. You can also get drugs which slow down the rate at which the body absorbs glucose from the intestine.
