Diabetes Mellitus

Question 1

what is diabetes mellitus?

Answer 1

abnormality of GLUCOSE regulation

Question 2

what is diabetes insipidus?

Answer 2

abnormality of RENAL FUNCTION (WATER)

Question 3

what does diabetes mellitus represent?

Answer 3

a series of metabolic conditions sharing the major characteristic of hyperglycaemia

Question 4

what can exposure to chronic hyperglycaemia lead to?

Answer 4

increased risk of microvascular complications and long-term macrovascular disease

Question 5

what tests are done to assess for diabetes mellitus?

Answer 5

• random plasma glucose
• fasting sugar
• glucose tolerance test
• HbA1C

Question 6

what does the HbA1C test show?

Answer 6

a measure of how much haemoglobin has glucose residue stuck to it (data for a few weeks)

Question 7

what does a resting blood glucose of 6.1-7.0 mmol/L suggest?

Answer 7

patient has Impaired Fasting Glucose, patient is likely to go on to develop diabetes

Question 8

what does a blood glucose level of 7.8-11.1mmol/L, 2 hours after plasma glucose suggest?

Answer 8

patient has Impaired Glucose Tolerance, and is likely to go on to develop diabetes

Question 9

what fasting blood glucose level does a patient suffering from diabetes have?

Answer 9

> 7mmol/L

Question 10

what blood glucose levels will a diabetic patient have 2 hours after glucose?

Answer 10

> 11.1mmol/L

Question 11

what occurs in Type One diabetes mellitus?

Answer 11

• insulin deficiency

- caused by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic B cells

Question 12

what is the cause of type one diabetes?

Answer 12

interplay between genetic and environmental factors

Question 13

what determines the clinical presentations of Type One diabetes?

Answer 13

rate of destruction of pancreatic B cells (normally 80-95% destroyed before time of presentation)

Question 14

what can type one diabetes lead to?

Answer 14

• hyperglycaemia

- ketoacidosis

Question 15

what circulating antibodies are present in patients suffering from T1 diabetes?

Answer 15

• GAD
• ICA
• IAA

Question 16

what is ketoacidosis?

Answer 16

condition in which the body cells cannot access glucose for metabolism so they start to metabolise fat which results in Ketones as end product (ketones are acidic)

Question 17

what T1 diabetic patients typically present with ketoacidosis?

Answer 17

children

Question 18

what age is the peak incidence of diabetes to show?

Answer 18

10-14 years (up to 60% of cases occur)

Question 19

what is adult onset of diabetes known as?

Answer 19

LADA - latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (>25 years)

Question 20

how does LADA present, compared to childhood/adolescence onset of diabetes?

Answer 20

• less weight loss
• less ketoacidosis
• GAD associated

Question 21

what are the symptoms of T1 diabetes?

Answer 21

• polyuria
• polydipsia
• tiredness

Question 22

what is polyuria?

Answer 22

• passing excessive urine

Question 23

what is polydipsia?

Answer 23

extreme thirst/drink a lot

Question 24

what occurs in an acute presentation of T1 diabetes?

Answer 24

• hyperglycaemia with diabetic symptoms

- ketoacidosis

Question 25

what is type 2 diabetes normally associated with?

Answer 25

obesity and inactivity

Question 26

what is the typical age that patients develop T2 diabetes?

Answer 26

> 40 years of age

Question 27

what is type 2 diabetes characterised by?

Answer 27

defective and delayed insulin secretion and abnormal postprandial suppression of glucagon