Diabetes Mellitus Flashcards
What is diabetes?
A lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high
What blood glucose levels diagnose diabetes?
- Random glucose ≥ 11.1mmol/L
- Fasting glucose ≥ 7.0mmol/L
When must blood glucose levels be tested again?
If the patient shows no symptoms of diabetes
What levels of HbA1c diagnose diabetes?
6.5% or 48mmol/mol
What does the HbA1c test show?
- Previous 10 weeks of ambient circulating glucose
- How well a patient’s diabetes is being treated
Oral glucose tolerance test method
- Measure fasting glucose at time = 0
- Drink 75g glucose drink over 5mins
- Wait 2h
- Measure glucose at time = 2h
What glucose levels from oral test diagnose diabetes?
- Fasting glucose 7.0mmol/L
- 2h glucose 11.1mmol/L
Functions of insulin
- Maintains supply of glucose to tissues
- Regulates metabolism in muscle
- Promotes protein synthesis
- Inhibits breakdown of fat
What is the precursor to insulin and how is insulin made from it?
- Proinsulin precursor
- Proinsulin polypeptide chain cleaved to form insulin
Types of diabetes
- Type 1
- Type 2
- Gestational
- Monogenic
What is type 1 diabetes?
Immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells (so low insulin levels)
What is type 2 diabetes?
Where cells don’t respond to insulin (so high insulin levels)
What is type 2 diabetes?
Where cells don’t respond to insulin (so high insulin levels)
Short term effects of uncontrolled diabetes
- Hyperglycaemia
- Hypoglycaemia
Long term effects of uncontrolled diabetes
- Mental health
- Vascular
- Cancer
