Diabetes

Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) is a life long condition, suffered by over 3 million people in England, in which the body is in capable of controlling it blood-glucose concentrations. It can be a huge problem if left alone as body tissues are in constant need for glucose for respiration, especially the brain as glucose is the only respiratory substrate it can use. It is essential that diabetes is diagnosed soon so that measures can be taken to re-control the blood-glucose concentrations.

Insulin and Glucagon are hormones that are used to control blood-glucose concentrations at a steady 4-6 mmol/dm^3. Insulin promotes glucose uptake in liver cells and to get converted into glycogen for storage (Glycogenesis), lowering the blood-glucose concentrations. Glucagon increases glucose concentration in the blood by causing the breakdown of glycogen back into glucose (Glycolysis) or if need be, the creation on new glucose from fats and amino acids (Gluconeogenesis)9. Both of these chemical messengers are created in the Islets of Langerhan in the pancreas.

There are 2 types of Diabetes which are very conveniently named type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that starts in children, a disease where the body's own immune system mistakes the Islets of Langerhans as foreign and starts attacking and destroying them. Type 1 diabetes is spontaneous and you're more likely to get it if its existed in your family but can also happen randomly. Type 2 diabetes is when the body cells slowly become more and more resistant to insulin, this happens to everyone and some experts say that everyone who lives up to 120 year will have diabetes. However, the process of insulin resistance can be accelerated by the use of more insulin in the body then normal, like having a sugar rich diet or being obese.

There really isn't any cure as such for diabetes, but patients have to become at least part of the body's control mechanism. Patients are advised to
-increase consumption high fibre foods
-eat foods that are low in fats
-eat fish and lean meat
-eating fruits and unsalted nuts

These not only help patients, but also help lower the chances of getting type 2 diabetes in the first place. You can also be asked to take Metformin tablets which reduces the amount of sugar that is released from the liver. Sulphonylureas can also help by promoting an increase in the amount of insulin produced.

As for type 1 diabetes, patients will need to take full control of the blood sugar levels, having to measure the glucose levels in samples of blood and to inject insulin according to what's being eaten at every meal. This can be a very difficult to
get used to, especially as it children who get it. life has been made slightly easier by the invention of pumps that inject the required insulin while only needing to be changed once every 3 days. Researches have been looking into ways of measuring blood glucose levels without taking any blood.
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2014/11/diabetes-glucose-through-skin-spectroscopy 


Now there's something to stroke your goatee on!





Sources
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Diabetes.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes-type2/Pages/Treatment.aspx
http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/are-diabetes-and-insulin-resistance-reversible/#close
http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/alt-insulin-pumps/what-is/
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