Lecture 21: Diabetes: The Pissing Evil

Question 1

Number of people afflicted with diabetes throughout history

Answer 1

• some minorities more likely to get it than others
• used to be rare but global prevalence has increased over time; a child born in 2000 now has a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes

Question 2

Factors associated with increased Type 1 diabetes

Answer 2

• family history
• geography
• environmental factors
• urbanization

Question 3

Factors associated with increased Type 2 diabetes

Answer 3

-Modifiable:

1. obesity
2. physical activity
3. hypertension
4. cholesterol

-Non-modifiable

1. family history
2. age
3. race/ethnic background

Question 4

What did a peeing dog teach us about diabetes?

Answer 4

the pancreas produces a substance that regulates blood sugar

Question 5

Greek and Roman thoughts on diabetes

Answer 5

• very rare disease; Galen only saw 2 cases
• causes frequent urination
• causes unquenchable thirst

Question 6

Diabetes in the Middle Ages

Answer 6

• people would taste urine to see if you had diabetes
• diabetic urine was supposed to be sweet
• looking at the color and its taste was an important diagnostic feature
• use of urine color wheel

Question 7

Frederick Banting

Answer 7

• Canadian scientist who isolated insulin for diabetes treatment
• won Nobel Prize
• performed pancreas experiments on dogs to measure sugar in their urine and blood
• eventually began injecting insulin into humans after trying it on dogs
• insulin = internal secretion of the pancreas

Question 8

National Commission of Diabetes Report

Answer 8

• diabetes became more of an issue after it was killing more people
• NCDR reported that diabetes becoming more of a problem

1. Diagnosed in 5 mil Americans
2. 250% increase
3. Causing 300k deaths per year

Question 9

Type 1 Diabetes

Answer 9

• insulin sensitive (total lack of insulin)
• mostly happens during childhood
• immune system destroys the cells that release insulin, causes body not to produce insulin
• leads to cells not being able to produce sugar needed for energy
• cannot be prevented
• must take insulin everyday

Question 10

Type 2 Diabetes

Answer 10

• insulin insensitive (too little insulin or can’t use insulin effectively)
• begins with insulin resistance when cells don’t use insulin to carry glucose through body, so it has to produce more but eventually cannot keep up over time
• mostly happens during adulthood
• majority of diabetics have type 2
• is preventable with exercise and good diet