Diabetes Mellitus Flashcards
What is diabetes mellitus?
- chronic non-communicable disease characterised by hyperglycaemia
- caused by relative insulin deficiency/resistance/both
- irreversible
- reduced life expectancy and major health costs
How is Type 1 diabetes an autoimmune disease?
Immune mediated (T cell) disruption of pancreatic B cells within the islets of Langerhans => insulin deficiency
- autoantibodies against islet constituents
- insulitis
What is type 2 diabetes?
most common
chronic, progressive
characterised by abnormal insulin action and secretion
- often overweight and obese
- genetic component
- number of islets decreases so reduction in number of beta cells per islet = reduction in insulin
Who is at risk of type 2 diabetes?
- overweight and obese (BMI greater than 31)
- higher in identical twins than non-identical
- older - increased mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation
- family history (first generation - healthy relatives can develop muscle insulin resistance)
- ethnicity
What are the causes of insulin resistance?
OBESITY:
- intrinsic: mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, ER stress
- extrinsic: lipid accumulation, increased circulating free fatty acids, chronic inflammation, altered adipokine levels
HYPERINSULINEMIA
increased lipid synthesis and exacerbated insulin resistance
What is insulinitis?
- infiltration of mononuclear cells
What does the pancreas do when a tissue is insulin resistant?
- tries to create more insulin but cell does not respond
- increases synthesis of lipids
How does insulin resistance occur in a healthy individual? How does the pancreas respond?
- associated with physiological conditions -> pregnancy or body weight gain
- beta cells in the islets increase in size and number in response = elevating their function = glucose tolerance maintained with increased insulin secretion
What is the significance of hyperglucagonaemia?
Occurs in all diabetes
- even when glucose is high
- alpha cells resistant to high levels of glucose/insulin (glucolipotoxicity)
- nothing to tell the cells to stop secreting glucagon
- no increase in alpha cell mass
How is diabetes diagnosed?
- Symptoms + 1 abnormal plasma glucose (thirst, increased urination, recurrent infection, weight loss)
- Asymptomatic + 2 abnormal plasma glucose when fasting
- Oral glucose tolerance (starve patient for a few hours, measure glucose levels before and after consuming sugary drink)
- HbA1C -> modified Hb when glucose gets attached to it (glycated) and measures percentage of glycated Hb
What are the main methods of treating diabetes? Which drugs do this?
Aim to lower blood glucose levels:
- decrease glucose and gluconeogenesis (TZD and biguanides (metformin)
- stimulate insulin secretion (sulfonylureas and meglitidines)
- stimulate glucagon peptide 1 (metformin and sitagliptin)
What does TZD do?
Thiazolidinedione
Increases level of transcription genes to decrease glucose and gluconeogenesis
What do meglitidines/sulfonylureas/gliclazides do?
stimulate closure of K+ channels in beta cells -> increase in calcium -> secretion of insulin
What does metformin do?
- inhibits gluconeogenesis by inhibiting complex 1 in mitochondria and activating AMPK
- Increases glucose uptake in muscle via GLUT4
- first line
- low risk of becoming hypoglycaemic
What does sitagliptin do?
- inhibits DPP-4 which inhibits GL1P