Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Flashcards
What is the definition of diabetes mellitus?
‘A state of chronic hyperglycaemia sufficient to cause long-term damage to specific tissues, notably the retina, kidney, nerves, and arteries’
What levels of fasted glucose, 2 hours after glucose tolerance test, and random glucose in normal people and diabetic patients?
Normal
- fasted - <6.0mmol/L
- 2 hour - <7.8mmol/L
- random - <11.1mmol/L
Diabetic
- fasted - >7.0mmol/L
- 2 hour - >11.1mmol/L
- random - >11.1mmol/L
What are the gaps between fasted glucose 6-7mmol/L and 2 hour glucose 7.8-11.1mmol/L called?
Impaired fasting glucose
- fasted glucose between 6.0 and 7.0mmol/L
Impaired glucose tolerance
- 2 hour glucose between 7.8 and 11.1mmol/L
Is diabetes prevalent in today’s society?
Yes
Reaches almost 10% at 60yrs +
- mostly T2DM
- prevalence varies enormously but is INCREASING
What is worrying about the age of people diabetes is occurring and being diagnosed in?
Occurring and being diagnosed in younger and younger people, now in children for example
Which groups are at most risk of developing diabetes?
Greatest risk is in ethnic groups that move from rural to urban lifestyle
What is MODY?
Mature onset Diabetes of the Young
- single-gene heretidary condition
- autosomal dominant
Causes ineffective pancreatic Beta cell insulin production
Specific treatment for each type
Where may mutations be found in MODY and what is the family history of this and obesity?
Mutations may be in transcription factor genes and the glucokinase gene
- positive family history of this but not of obesity
What is the pathophysiology of T2DM?
Insulin resistance
Insulin secretion defects
What hormones modulate insulin resistance?
Adipocytokines
What condition are diabetes-predisposing genes involved with and how may it predispose that person to diabetes?
IUGR - IntraUterine Growth Restriction
- being born light is associated with later diabetes development
How can certain fatty acids and obesity cause diabetes?
Certain fatty acids and obesity cause progression of insulin resistance
What effects can insulin resistance cause?
Mitogenic effects
Metabolic dyslipidaemia (basically the ‘bad’ lipids like LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are high in the blood, increases atheroma formation)
- causes macrovascular disease
Which of microvascular and macrovascular disease is found in the elderly generally and which is usually caused specifically by diabetes?
Macrovascular (general blood vessel disease like atherosclerosis) is found in the elderly generally
Microvascular (organ specific disease, retinopathy, nephropathy etc) is usually as a result of the diabetes (most of these require the constant hyperglycaemia of diabetes to happen)
What have studies in twins shown about T1/T2DM?
Shown that T2D behaves as if it is autosomal dominant (from a rough Punnet square from the results) but we don’t know the specific genes that cause it. MODY is a single-gene disease but T2D has multiple genes involved
- shows T2D is more genetics-based while T1D is more environment-based
How does insulin production change with age and why?
Decreases
- beta cell reserve decreases with age so less insulin made
How does insulin resistance change with age and is this inevitable?
Resistance increases with age
- fairly inevitable, some individuals have poorer beta cell function or a higher natural insulin resistance and will develop T2D earlier than normal people
What form, on a graph, does the relationship between insulin resistance and insulin release take, why is this important, and when should action take place?
Two converging lines
- insulin secretion starts high and descends with age
- insulin resistance starts low and ascends with age
Important point is when the two cross over. Once there is a deficit between the two (resistance higher than secretion), you get T2D
- preventative action should take place before the two lines cross over
Where does insulin resistance occur and why is this a problem?
POST-RECEPTOR metabolic mechanism
- makes treatment a bit more complex than T1D (just give insulin) since the body is already not responding healthily to the endogenous insulin
What are the 3 insulin-related problems in T2D?
Defective insulin secretion - less insulin made for a given glucose challenge than normal
Inability to switch off HGO (hepatic glucose output, insulin normally does this)
Inability to drive glucose into muscle via GLUT-4
What is the metabolism and presentation of T2DM?
Heterogeneous (range of conditions with the common ultimate result of hyperglycaemia)
Obesity - 80% of patients
Deficit in insulin resistance and insulin secretion
Hyperglycaemia - impaired glucose disposal, increased hepatic glucose production both contribute to high fasting blood glucose
Dyslipidaemia
Acute and chronic complications (chronic is usually T1D, acute complications like heart attacks and strokes are mainly how T2D presents)
What is the purpose of adipose tissue?
Fat produces lots of hormones to communicate with the brain - to tell whether food intake is needed or not
- in this case, fatty acids aren’t just an energy store but also act as a hormone in this pathway
Is obesity just a precipitant or more than that, which molecules are important in obesity, and is central or peripheral obesity/fat more dangerous?
Obesity is much more than a precipitant
- fatty acids and adipocytokines are important
- central (also known as omental) obesity is the most important form in that it increases your risk of other diseases much more than cutaneous fat
What is centripetal adiposity and what is it an important predictor of?
Centripetal adiposity is the fat deposited around your waist
- important predictor of risk of ischaemic heart disease