Diabetes – Better Health Channel

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood are too high. Blood glucose levels are normally regulated by the hormone insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Diabetes occurs when there is a problem with this hormone and how it works in the body.

Around 5.1 per cent of Australians aged 18 years or older have diabetes. The risk of diabetes increases with age, from 2.8 per cent in people aged 35 to 44, to 15.0 per cent in those aged 65 to 74. Aboriginal people have one of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the world.

The glucose in the bloodstream needs to move into body tissues so that cells can use it for energy. Excess glucose is also stored in the liver, or converted to fat and stored in other body tissues.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, which is a gland located just below the stomach. Insulin opens the doors (the glucose channels) that let glucose move from the blood into the body cells. It also allows glucose to be stored in muscle, the liver and other tissues. This is part of a process known as glucose metabolism.

In diabetes, either the pancreas cant make insulin (type 1 diabetes), or the cells dont respond to the insulin properly (insulin resistance) and the pancreas produces inadequate insulin for the bodys increased needs (type 2 diabetes).

If the insulin cannot do its job, the glucose channels cannot open properly. Glucose builds up in the blood instead of getting into cells for energy. High blood glucose levels cause the health problems linked to diabetes, often referred to as complications.

The symptoms of ketoacidosis are:

If a person with type 1 diabetes skips a meal, exercises heavily or takes too much insulin, their blood sugar levels will fall. This can lead to hypoglycaemica. The symptoms include tremor, sweating, dizziness, hunger, headache and change in mood. This can be remedied with a quick boost of sugar (such as jellybeans or glucose tablets), then something more substantial such as fruit. A person with type 1 diabetes should have lollies on hand at all times, just in case.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, affects 85 to 90 per cent of all people with diabetes. While it usually affects mature adults (over 40), younger people are also now being diagnosed in greater numbers as rates of overweight and obesity increase. Type 2 diabetes used to be called non-insulin dependent diabetes or mature onset diabetes.

Research shows that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with lifestyle changes. However, there is no cure.

Certain women are at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. High risk groups include:

Gestational diabetes can be monitored and treated and, if well controlled, these risks are greatly reduced. The baby will not be born with diabetes.

In severe cases, a person may pass up to 30 litres of urine per day. Without treatment, diabetes insipidus can cause dehydration and, eventually, coma due to concentration of salts in the blood, particularly sodium.

The name of this condition is a bit misleading, since diabetes insipidus has nothing to do with diabetes caused by high blood sugar levels, apart from the symptoms of thirst and passing large volumes of urine. Depending on the cause, diabetes insipidus can be treated with medications, vasopressin replacement and a low-salt diet.

Management depends on the type of diabetes, but can include:

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Diabetes - Better Health Channel