Category Archives: Diabetes

"Diabetes mellitus," more commonly referred to as "diabetes," is a condition that causes blood sugar to rise to dangerous levels: a fasting blood glucose of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more.

How Diabetes Develops

Types of Diabetes

Type 1DiabetesType 1 diabetes is a serious condition that occurs when the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Without insulin, the body is unable to take the glucose (blood sugar) it gets from food into cells to fuel the body. So without daily injections of insulin, people with type 1 diabetes won't survive. For that reason, this type of diabetes is also referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes was previously known as juvenile diabetes because it's usually diagnosed in children and young adults. However, this chronic, lifelong disease can strike at any age, and those with a family history of it are particularly at risk.

Health Risks for Type 1 Diabetes

During the development of type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks certain cells (called beta cells) in the pancreas. Although the reasons this occurs are still unknown, the effects are clear. Once these cells are destroyed, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, so the glucose stays in the blood. When there's too much glucose in the blood, especially for prolonged periods, all the organ systems in the body suffer long-term damage. Learn more about the health consequences of diabetes and how to treat it.

Type2DiabetesType 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Historically, type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed primarily in middle-aged adults. Today, however, adolescents and young adults are developing type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate. This correlates with the increasing incidence of obesity and physical inactivity in this population, both of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

This type of diabetes can occur when:

Precursors to Diabetes

Pre-diabetesPre-diabetes means your body is not fully able to handle the job of converting sugars into energy. If youve been told by your healthcare provider that you have pre-diabetes it also means that without making some healthy changes, your body will most likely eventually develop diabetes. Learn more about pre-diabetes. Insulin Resistance Both type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes usually result from insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance, which is a condition that affects more than 60 million Americans, occurs when the body can't use insulin efficiently. To compensate, the pancreas releases more and more insulin to try to keep blood sugar levels normal. Gradually, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas become defective and ultimately decrease in total number. As a result, blood sugar levels begin to rise, causing pre-diabetes and, eventually, type 2 diabetes to develop.

When a fasting individual has too much glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) or too much insulin in the blood (hyperinsulinemia), it indicates a person may have insulin resistance.

Health Risks of Insulin Resistance

People with insulin resistance are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also are more likely to have too much LDL ("bad") cholesterol, not enough HDL ("good") cholesterol, and high triglycerides, which cause atherosclerosis.

Untreated diabetes can lead to many serious medical problems, including heart disease and stroke. That's why it's important to be aware of the symptoms as well as the risk factors and to take appropriate steps to prevent and treat insulin resistance and diabetes.

This content was last reviewed on 6/28/2012.

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About Diabetes - American Heart Association

Welcome

Our group'smission is to provide personal servicefor patients who have a variety of medical concerns, with an emphasis on Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Internal Medicine. The Physicians withVirginia Diabetes & Endocrinology,P.C.have proudly served the greater Richmond area for over 20 years.

Ourhealth care teamincludes board certified Endocrinologists, Internists, and Nurse Practitioners, as well asa friendly, compassionatesupport staff.Pleaseexplore our website to learn more about Virginia Diabetes & Endocrinology, P.C., our health care providers, and the care and services we offer.

As part of our ongoing effort to provide the highest quality of care, we are proud to introduce our web-based patient portal. This gives patients the opportunity to use the power of the "Web" to track your health care progress in our medical office. We encourage you to take advantage of this new opportunity to play an active role in managing your healthcare.

Visit the portal at health.eclinicalworks.com/vadiabetes To pay your bill on line please click the following link or paste it in your browser https://www.medfusion.net/secure/portal/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.login&dest=paymybill&gid=4116

For patients interested in obtaining individual health and nutrition goals, Specialty Nutrition and Health is arewardingoption. Their Dietitians are available in our Midlothian office. Visit http://www.specialtynutritionandhealth.comto find out more about the practice, their staff and additional locations.

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Virginia Diabetes and Endocrinology

If you just found out you have diabetes, you probably have a lot of questions and you may feel a little uncertain. But you're not alone. In the United States, 23.6 million people have diabetes. Most of these people lead full, healthy lives. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn all you can about diabetes. This article will tell you some of the basics about diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when a persons body doesnt make enough of the hormone insulin or cant use insulin properly. There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when your bodys pancreas doesnt produce any insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas either doesnt produce enough insulin or your bodys cells ignore the insulin. Between 90% and 95% of people who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. It is sometimes called juvenile diabetes because it is usually discovered in children and teenagers, but adults may also have it.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesnt produce enough insulin or the bodys cells ignore the insulin.

Yes. In the past, doctors thought that only adults were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, an increasing number of children in the United States are now being diagnosed with the disease. Doctors think this increase is mostly because more children are overweight or obese and are less physically active.

Pre-diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than they should be, but not so high that your doctor can say you have diabetes. Pre-diabetes is becoming more common in the United States. It greatly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that you can take steps to prevent or delay the onset of full-blown type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly.

Yes, you can live a normal life. You can stay healthy if you do what it takes to control your diabetes.

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Diabetes | Overview

Diabetes is a life-long disease that affects the way your body handles glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood.

Most people with the condition have type 2. There are about 27 million people in the U.S. with it. Another 86 million have prediabetes: Their blood glucose is not normal, but not high enough to be diabetes yet.

Diabetes is a serious disease that can cause debilitating nerve pain.

Here's some helpful information:

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Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. It's what lets your cells turn glucose from the food you eat into energy. People with type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their cells don't use it as well as they should. Doctors call this insulin resistance.

At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to try to get glucose into the cells. But eventually it can't keep up, and the sugar builds up in your blood instead.

Usually a combination of things cause type 2 diabetes, including:

Genes. Scientists have found different bits of DNA that affect how your body makes insulin.

Extra weight. Being overweight or obese can cause insulin resistance, especially if you carry your extra pounds around the middle. Now type 2 diabetes affects kids and teens as well as adults, mainly because of childhood obesity.

Metabolic syndrome. People with insulin resistance often have a group of conditions including high blood glucose, extra fat around the waist, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides.

Too much glucose from your liver. When your blood sugar is low, your liver makes and sends out glucose. After you eat, your blood sugar goes up, and usually the liver will slow down and store its glucose for later. But some people's livers don't. They keep cranking out sugar.

Bad communication between cells. Sometimes cells send the wrong signals or don't pick up messages correctly. When these problems affect how your cells make and use insulin or glucose, a chain reaction can lead to diabetes.

Broken beta cells. If the cells that make the insulin send out the wrong amount of insulin at the wrong time, your blood sugar gets thrown off. High blood glucose can damage these cells, too.

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Type 2 Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, and More

Type 1 Diabetes

Understanding type 1 diabetes is the first step to managing it. Get information on type 1 diabetes causes, risk factors, warning signs, and prevention tips.

Normally, the body's immune system fights off foreign invaders like viruses or bacteria. But for unknown reasons, in people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks various cells in the body.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop quickly, over a few days to weeks, and are caused by blood sugar levels rising above the normal range (hyperglycemia).

You can inherit a tendency to develop type 1 diabetes, but most people who have the disease have no family history of it.

If a person is not in ketoacidosis, the American Diabetes Association's criteria for symptoms, a medical history, a physical exam, and blood tests are used to diagnose type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong treatment to keep blood sugar levels within a target range.

There are many forms of insulin to treat diabetes. They are classified by how fast they start to work and how long their effects last.

Currently there is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but ongoing studies are exploring ways to prevent diabetes in those who are most likely to develop it.

See animated illustrations of how type 1 diabetes works.

WebMD offers a pictorial overview of the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of type 1 diabetes.

This type 1 diabetes assessment was designed to explore and evaluate your personal health and lifestyle history to help you manage your health and your familys health better.

Test your Type 1 Diabetes knowledge.

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Type 1 Diabetes: Causes, Tests, Symptoms and Treatments

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People in the DMV region are increasingly feeling the effects of diabetes as thousands of people suffer from the disease, and many others may have diabetes and don't know it! It is estimated that one out of every three children born after 2000 in the United States will be directly affected by diabetes.

That is why the American Diabetes Association's Washington office is so committed to educating the public about how to stop diabetes and support those living with the disease.

We are here to help.

The American Diabetes Association has established a program to train volunteers to implement diabetes/wellness education workshops in the Washington DC Metro Area. The idea is to give people who are passionate about health promotion the resources they need to act by leading workshops on diabetes/wellness in their communities. These workshops will help get the word out about prevention strategies and the dangers of uncontrolled diabetes. The Association also hopes these workshops become places community members can exchange ideas about what they are doing to stay healthy. The ideal audience will be people that you know from your communities. Ambassador volunteers have the opportunity to motivate friends, family and members of the community to join the fight to Stop Diabetes!

If you, or someone you know, is interested in serving as an American Diabetes Association Ambassador, please contact Tiffany Ingram at 202-331-8303 ext. 4540 or tingram@diabetes.org.

We welcome your help.

Your involvement as an American Diabetes Association volunteer whether on a local or national level will help us expand our community outreach and impact, inspire healthy living, intensify our advocacy efforts, raise critical dollars to fund our mission, and uphold our reputation as the moving force and trusted leader in the diabetes community.

Find volunteer opportunities in our area through the Volunteer Center.

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Washington, DC - American Diabetes Association

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Michael A. Bryan Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center 700 2nd St NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 346-3000

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Rabia Cherqaoui Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Gail L. Nunlee-Bland Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Sujay Madduri Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Wolali A. Odonkor Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Vijaya A. Ganta Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Yassin Mustafa Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Mehreen Husain Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center 2041 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20060 (202) 865-3350

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Teresa L. Jones Whitman-Walker Clinics MD 1701 14th St NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-7000

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Renu S. Mansukhani National Center For Weight And Wellness 1828 L St NW Ste 350 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 223-3077

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James N. Ramey Sislen & Associates 1120 19th St NW Ste 200 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 296-0670

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Ace Lipson Ace Lipson MD 1120 19th St NW Ste 200 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 296-3443

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Florence O. Awosika Medical Faculty Associates 2150 Pennsylvania Ave NW Ste G400 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-2498

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Sabyasachi Sen Medical Faculty Associates 2150 Pennsylvania Ave NW Ste G400 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-2498

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Kenneth D. Burman Family Health Center 106 Irving St NW Ste 3800 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-0333

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Michelle F. Magee Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Leonard Wartofsky Family Health Center 106 Irving St NW Ste 3800 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-0333

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Barbara A. Onumah Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Shannon D. Sullivan Family Health Center 106 Irving St NW Ste 3800 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-0333

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Meeta Sharma Family Health Center 106 Irving St NW Ste 3800 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-0333

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John J. Reyes-Castano Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Jason A. Wexler Family Health Center 106 Irving St NW Ste 3800 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-0333

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Dorota A. Krajewski Family Health Center 106 Irving St NW Ste 3800 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-0333

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Priya Kundra Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Rui Lu DC Endocrine 106 Irving St NW Ste 411 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-7080

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Ibironke Balough Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Lyn Hopkinson Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Luriane Raymond Medstar Diabetes Institute 100 Irving St NW Ste 4114 Washington, DC 20010 (202) 877-2383

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Mark M. Sklar Mark M Sklar MD 3 Washington Cir NW Ste 303 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 887-4769

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Ali Afsari Mark M Sklar MD 3 Washington Cir NW Ste 303 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 887-4769

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Ishita Prakash GW Medical Faculty Associates 900 23rd St NW FL 4 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 715-4000

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Michael S. Irwig GW Medical Faculty Associates 22nd & I St NW South Pavilion Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-3333

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Joshua L. Cohen GW Medical Faculty Associates 22nd & I St NW South Pavilion Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-3333

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Kara-Anne Gregory GW Medical Faculty Associates 22nd & I St NW South Pavilion Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-3333

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Suzanne M. Adler GW Medical Faculty Associates 22nd & I St NW South Pavilion Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-3333

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Kenneth L. Becker GW Medical Faculty Associates 22nd & I St NW South Pavilion Washington, DC 20037 (202) 741-3333

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Julia D. Pineda J Desiree Pineda MD 2440 M St NW Ste 712 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 828-0935

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Donna S. Westervelt The Washington Endocrine Clinic PLLC 2440 M St NW Ste 417 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 570-5151

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Abbas Motazedi Center For Diabetes Thyroid & Endocrinology 1160 Varnum St NE Ste 111 Washington, DC 20017 (202) 269-0381

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Michael J. West The Washington Endocrine Clinic PLLC 2440 M St NW Ste 417 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 570-5151

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Erika Hoffman The Washington Endocrine Clinic PLLC 2440 M St NW Ste 417 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 570-5151

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Su Y. Chin Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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West T. Moore Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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West T. Mo
ore Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology 4000 Reservoir Rd NW Ste 232 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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Natasa Janicic-Kahric Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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Julianna Barsony Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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Rachna M. Goyal Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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Jisun Yi Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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Jacqueline Jonklaas Georgetown University Hospital Endocrinology & Metabolism 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Fl 6 Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-2818

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Domenica M. Rubino Washington Center For Weight Management And Research 2300 Wilson Blvd Ste 230 Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 807-0037

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Diabetes Mellitus Center - Washington, DC - MedicineNet

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which people have problems regulating their blood sugar. People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their bodies:

Type 2 diabetes is extremely common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 29 million children and adults in the United States have some form of diabetes. That is about 9 percent of the population. The vast majority of these people have type 2 diabetes.

When you eat food, the body digests the carbohydrates in into a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for cells. Cells rely on the hormone insulin to absorb and use glucose as a form of energy. Insulin is produced by the pancreas.

People usually develop type 2 diabetes because their cells have become resistant to insulin. Then, over time, their body may stop making sufficient insulin as well. These problems lead to blood sugar, or glucose, building up in the blood

There are several different types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes used to be known as juvenile onset diabetes because it is usually first diagnosed in childhood, though it can be diagnosed later in life as well.. People with type 1 diabetes cannot make insulin and are insulin dependent. They must use insulin injections to control their blood sugar.

According to the CDC, only about five percent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes (CDC).

There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, and was once known as adult onset diabetes. However, in recent years, the rate of type 2 diagnoses in children has been growing.

Type 2 diabetes usually starts as insulin resistance. Cells stop responding properly to insulin and sugar is unable to get from the blood into the cells. Over time, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to keep blood sugars in the normal range and the body becomes progressively less able to regulate blood sugar.

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Type 2 Diabetes: Everything You Need to Know

This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.

Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin. Insulin is required for the body to efficiently use sugars, fats and proteins.

Diabetes most commonly occurs in middle age to older dogs and cats, but occasionally occurs in young animals. When diabetes occurs in young animals, it is often genetic and may occur in related animals. Diabetes mellitus occurs more commonly in female dogs and in male cats.

Certain conditions predispose a dog or cat to developing diabetes. Animals that are overweight or those with inflammation of the pancreas are predisposed to developing diabetes. Some drugs can interfere with insulin, leading to diabetes. Glucocorticoids, which are cortisone-type drugs, and hormones used for heat control are drugs that are most likely to cause diabetes. These are commonly used drugs and only a small percentage of animals receiving these drugs develop diabetes after long term use.

The body needs insulin to use sugar, fat and protein from the diet for energy. Without insulin, sugar accumulates in the blood and spills into the urine. Sugar in the urine causes the pet to pass large amounts of urine and to drink lots of water. Levels of sugar in the brain control appetite. Without insulin, the brain becomes sugar deprived and the animal is constantly hungry, yet they may lose weight due to improper use of nutrients from the diet. Untreated diabetic pets are more likely to develop infections and commonly get bladder, kidney, or skin infections. Diabetic dogs, and rarely cats, can develop cataracts in the eyes. Cataracts are caused by the accumulation of water in the lens and can lead to blindness. Fat accumulates in the liver of animals with diabetes. Less common signs of diabetes are weakness or abnormal gait due to nerve or muscle dysfunction. There are two major forms of diabetes in the dog and cat: 1) uncomplicated diabetes and 2) diabetes with ketoacidosis. Pets with uncomplicated diabetes may have the signs just described but are not extremely ill. Diabetic pets with ketoacidosis are very ill and may be vomiting and depressed.

The diagnosis of diabetes is made by finding a large increase in blood sugar and a large amount of sugar in the urine. Animals, especially cats, stressed by having a blood sample drawn, can have a temporary increase in blood sugar, but there is no sugar in the urine. A blood screen of other organs is obtained to look for changes in the liver, kidney and pancreas. A urine sample may be cultured to look for infection of the kidneys or bladder. Diabetic patients with ketoacidosis may have an elevation of waste products that are normally removed by the kidneys.

The treatment is different for patients with uncomplicated diabetes and those with ketoacidosis. Ketoacidotic diabetics are treated with intravenous fluids and rapid acting insulin. This treatment is continued until the pet is no longer vomiting and is eating, then the treatment is the same as for uncomplicated diabetes.

the inset picture shows the top of the insulin bottle

Diabetes is managed long term by the injection of insulin by the owner once or twice a day. Some diabetic cats can be treated with oral medications instead of insulin injections, but the oral medications are rarely effective in the dog. There are three general types of insulin used in dogs and cats:

In general, cats and small dogs need insulin injections more frequently, usually twice daily, compared to large breed dogs that may only require one dose of insulin daily. The action of insulin varies in each individual and some large dogs will need 2 insulin shots daily. The insulin needs of the individual animal are determined by collecting small amounts of blood for glucose (sugar) levels every 1-2 hours for 12-24 hours. This is called an insulin-glucose-response curve. When insulin treatment is first begun, it is often necessary to perform several insulin-glucose-response curves to determine:

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Diabetes mellitus