Endocrinology Flashcards
What does your body have trouble moving if you have diabetes Mellitus? What is the result of this?
Has trouble moving glucose from the blood into cells
This results in high levels of glucose in your blood, and not enough of it in your cells results in energy depletion of cells.
What hormones control how much glucose is in the blood relative to how much gets into the cell
Insulin: reduce blood glucose levels
Glucagon: Increase blood glucose levels
Where are glucagon and insulin secreted from?
Islets of Langerhans within pancreas
Beta cells: insulin
Alpha cells: glucagon
REMEMBER Alpha = glucAgon
How does insulin reduce the amount of glucose in the blood
Binds to insulin receptors embedded in the cell membrane of various insulin-responsive tissues like adipose tissue and muscle cells
When activated, the insulin receptors cause vesicles containing glucose transporter within the cell to fuse with the cell membrane allowing glucose to be transported into the cell
How does glucagon increase the amount of glucose in the blood
Raises blood glucose levels by getting the liver to generate new molecules of glucose from other molecules and break down glycogen into glucose
What is diabetes mellitus
A group of chronic disorders characterised by abnormal glucose metabolism resulting in elevated glucose levels
Type 1 Diabetes vs Type 2 diabetes
Type 1 : Body doesnt produce insulin.Autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas
Type 2 : Makes insulin but the body doesnt respond to it. Insulin resistance followed by beta cell atrophy
Classification of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 1 diabetes is B-cell destruction leading to absolute insulin deficiency. It accounts for 5-10% of all diabetes. Type I diabetes is divided into two types: Immune-mediated and idiopathic. The traditional paradigm is of childhood-onset with acute symptoms of DKA.
Type 1A: immune-mediated diabetes
-Most common
-Autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta-cells -> decrease in insulin
-Type IV hypersensitivity response
Type 1B: idiopathic diabetes
-No evidence of autoimmunity
-Varying degrees of low insulin, episodes of ketoacidosis
Cause of Type 1 diabetes
Genetic abnormality causes a loss of self-tolerance among T cells that target beta-cell antigens. This means beta cells are attacked, and less insulin and glucose pile up in the blood because they can’t enter the body’s cells
What is latent autoimmune diabetes
A progressive form of autoimmune diabetes
Onset is at >30 years old
Risk factors of Type 1 diabetes
Genetic predisposition
Multiple gene polymorphisms associated with DM Type 1
Diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus
The age of onset and rate of B-cell destruction is quite variable:
- Rapid in infants and children
- Slow in others (mainly adults), such as in Latent AutoimmunenDiabetes of Adulthood (LADA).
This influences clinical presentation and may confuse the diagnosis.
Diabetes:
Acute onset of hyperglycaemic symptoms with ketoacidosis:
- Random plasma glucose > 11.1 mmol/L consistent with diagnosis
- HbA1c is not used in diagnosis
Autoimmune markers are not routinely used but can include:
- Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65)
- Insulin (IAA)
- Tyrosine phosphatases (IA-2 & IA-2B)
- ZnT8
Low or undetectable plasma C-peptide level supports the diagnosis.
Latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood
- A subtype of autoimmune Type 1 diabetes is sometimes misdiagnosed as T2D.
- Slowly progressive destruction of Beta cells.
- May appear to respond to oral agents initially.
- Less likely to have other features of metabolic syndrome (central obesity, HT, dyslipidaemia).
- More likely to have a history of other autoimmune diseases.
- Starting insulin early may help to preserve beta cell insulin production
Criteria to standardize the definition:
- Age of onset usually > 30y
- Positive titre for at least one T1D autoantibody
- Not treated with insulin within the first 6 months after diagnosis
Complications of Type 1 diabetes
What are the sign and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes (8)
What are the management of Type 1 diabetes
What is diabetic ketoacidosis
A condition resulting from deficient insulin availability, leading to lipid oxidation and metabolism rather than glucose metabolism. The insulin absence results in free fatty acid (FFA) released from adipose tissue and in unregulated hepatic FFA oxidation and ketogenesis.
diabetic ketoacidosis characterised by?
severe hyperglycemia
accelerated ketogenesis.
What is a serious complication of Type 1 diabetes
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
Clinical Presentation of diabetes mellitus type 1
Signs of dehydration
* polyuria
* polydypsia
* weight loss
GI symptoms
Hyperventilation (↑Respiratory Rate - Kussmaul breathing)
True coma - 10% of cases)
Side Note Kussmaul breathing is air hunger, rapid deep breathing a sign of metabolic acidosis. This is different to Kusmaul’s sign looks at JVP relationship with breathing.
DKA Aetiology (5I’s) + Initial Diagnosis
- Infection
- Infarction
- Insufficient insulin
- Intercurrent illness
- Inappropriate withdrawal of Insulin
- Initial Diagnosis
Remember Precipitating factors of DKA 5 I’s: Infection Ischemia Infarction Intoxication Insulin missed
Investigations of DKA
Complications of DKA
Cerebral oedema
* May be caused by very rapid reduction of blood glucose, use of hypotonic fluids and/or bicarbonate
* High mortality
* Treat with mannitol, oxygen
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Thromboembolism
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (rare)
Acute circulatory failure
Differential diagnosis of DKA- high blood glucose and coma
Head injury
Alcohol
Drug overdose