KA8- Blood Glucose and Obesity

Question 1

What can chronic elevation of blood glucose levels lead to?

Answer 1

Chronic elevation of blood glucose levels leads to the endothelium cells taking in more glucose than normal, damaging the blood vessels.

Question 2

What can elevated levels of blood glucose cause?

Answer 2

It can cause atherosclerosis, which may lead to CVD, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and it can damage small blood vessels, which may result in renal failure.

Question 3

What does the body do when an individual has high blood glucose?

Answer 3

When a person has high glucose levels the pancreatic receptors respond by increasing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. The insulin activates the conversion of glucose to glycogen in the liver, decreasing blood glucose concentration.

Question 4

What does the body do when an individual has low blood glucose?

Answer 4

When a person has low blood glucose the pancreatic receptors respond by increasing the secretion of glucagon from the pancreas. Glucagon activates the conversion of glycogen to glucose in the liver, increasing blood glucose concentration.

Question 5

What happens to glucose concentration in the blood during exercise and flight or fight responses?

Answer 5

Blood glucose levels are increased by adrenaline, released by the adrenal gland, stimulating glucagon secretion and inhibiting insulin secretion.

Question 6

When does type 1 diabetes occur?

Answer 6

During childhood.

Question 7

How does type 1 diabetes occur?

Answer 7

They occur when a person is unable to produce insulin and is treated with regular doses of insulin.

Question 8

When does type 2 diabetes develop ?

Answer 8

It develops later in life.

Question 9

Who is more likely to have type 2 diabetes?

Answer 9

People who are overweight.

Question 10

How does type 2 diabetes develop?

Answer 10

It develops when cells become insulin resistance. This means that insulin is unable to enter the liver, as the receptors do not respond leading to the failure to convert glucose to glycogen.

Question 11

How can type 2 diabetes be treated?

Answer 11

It can be treated by regular exercise, diet control and weight loss.

Question 12

How can diabetes be diagnosed through urine?

Answer 12

People with diabetes will see their blood glucose levels increase rapidly after a meal. The kidneys will remove some of this glucose resulting in glucose appearing in urine. Which means testing urine for glucose is an indicator of diabetes.

Question 13

State how a person can be diagnosed with diabetes through the glucose tolerance test?

Answer 13

1. An individual comes in fasting and their blood glucose concentrations are measured
2. The individual drinks a glucose solution and changes in their blood glucose concentration are measured for the next two hours.
3. If the individual is diabetic then their blood glucose levels will start at a higher level than a non diabetic person and they will also increase to a much higher level than that of a non diabetic person and take longer to return to its starting concentration.

Question 14

How concerning is obesity?

Answer 14

Obesity is concerning, as it a major risk factor for CVD and type 2 diabetes.

Question 15

How is obesity characterised?

Answer 15

It is characterised be excess body fat in relation to lean body tissue such as muscle.

Question 16

Where is body mass index used?

Answer 16

It is commonly used to measure obesity.

Question 17

What can cause obesity?

Answer 17

A diet high in fats and a decrease in physical activity.

Question 18

How should one avoid having obesity?

Answer 18

By exercising as exercise increases energy use up and preserves lean tissue and limit fats and free sugars from diets, as fats have a high calorific value per gram.

Question 19

What are the benefits of exercising?

Answer 19

It helps to reduce major risk factors for CVD by keeping weight under control, it minimises stress, reduces hypertension and improves our lipids profile.