Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Diabetes Mellitus
- A condition where the body can't produce enough
insulin to control the blood glucose concentration
- Hypoglycaemia
- After a meal rich in carbohydrates + sugars
- Hyperglycaemia
- After exercising or fasting
- TYPE 1
- Causes
- From childhood
- Autoimmune response; immune system
attacks and destroys beta cells
- = Beta cells unable to produce insulin, so excess glucose cant be converted
into glycogen (glycogenesis)
- Prolonged high blood glucose
concentration- hyperglycaemia
- Also hypoglycaemia; no stored glycogen to be
converted into glucose (glycogenolysis) -when
blood glucose levels lower
- Treatment
- Insulin is injected
- Blood glucose conc. must be monitored so the correct
dosage of insulin is administered to keep levels
relatively stable
- Not taken in tablet form as this may be
digested into amino acids!
- Alternatives to injections
- Insulin pump therapy- small device constantly
pumps insulin into blood via. permanent
needle inserted under skin
- Pancreas transplant
- Islet of Langerhans transplant; beta
cells implanted into pancreas of type
1 sufferer
- TYPE 2
- Causes
- Person can't produce enough insulin
- As we age, we also become less responsive to insulin
- Possibly because, the insulin receptors on liver, muscle + brain cells become less
responsive to insulin, so it doesn't produce a response in the cell
- Blood glucose conc. are almost permanently raised
(hyperglycaemia), which can cause damage to major organs +
circulation
- Factors that bring on type 2
- Obesity
- Diets rich in sugars (especially refined sugars)
- Lack of regular exercise
- Being of Asian/Afro-carribean descent
- Family history
- Treatment
- Lifestyle changes; regular exercise, lose weight, monitor
diet (less carbs + sugars)
- May be supplemented by medication...
- That reduces the amount of glucose in blood
- or boosts the amount of
insulin released by beta cells
- In severe cases; insulin injections or injections that slow the absorption of
glucose
- Source of insulin
- Used to be extracted from animals; pigs-
(closely matches our insulin)
- Now human insulin is produced by GM E.coli becateria
- Less moral objections; than from animals
extracted insulin
- Cheaper to manufacture insulin than extract it
- Exact copy of human insulin; faster acting +
more effective
- Manufacturing process can be adapted to demand
- Less chances of being infected
- Less chance of rejecting; due to an autoimmune response or developing
tolerance to it