Tutorial 3 - Diabetes Mellitus Flashcards
What is diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes caused by GLUCOSE (mellitus means sweet)
Obvious symptom of diabetes mellitus?
Need to pass lots of urine
Capillary blood glucose above what is diagnostic of diabetes mellitus?
Above 7.0 mmol/L
Normal is about 6
What can be used to test urine glucose/ketone conc?
A urine test strip
More colour change = more glucose/ketone in urine
Why might someone have glucose in the urine?
Above 10 mmol/L of glucose: Glucose leaks into urine as not all of it can be reabsorbed in the kidney.
Osmotic effect of glucose in kidney - water follows the sugar and goes into urine = high volume of urine.
Normal people urinate about 1.5L a day.
Minimum for survival = 400ml in 24 hours
Drinking fizzy drinks
If someone’s plasma glucose is high, what is likely to be the cause?
They have no insulin
Autoimmune - beta cells are destroyed by the immune system. No insulin can be produced.
Insulin tells the body that you have eaten.
Normal person: If you eat lots of carbohydrates the pancreas makes insulin, insulin tells liver to store glucose as glycogen.
What is DKA?
Diabetic Ketone Acidosis
When the body starts to run out of insulin, more ketones are produced, pH falls,
Too many ketones = brain can’t function. Unconscious.
You must give the patient insulin
What is angina pectoris?
Chest pain due to partly blocked coronary arteries
Case:
Patient is overweight
During investigation he is found to have a fasting plasma glucose of 12 mmol/L (normal FPG < 6.0 mmol/L).
What is the diagnosis?
Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Insulin resistance
Patient is so obese that the insulin they have is insufficient so is ineffective as there is too much glucose.
What type of diet should someone with type 2 diabetes have?
Low sodium (salt)
Low fat
Less food
Low sugar
What can be done to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease?
Exercise
