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Blood Glucose And Diabetes
By peace | April 25, 2006
Picture of Pancreatic beta cell: A type of cell in the pancreas that makes insulin. The pancreas is a fish-shaped organ that stretches across the back of the abdomen behind the stomach. Within the pancreas there are areas that are called the islets of Langerhans. The beta cells constitute the predominant type of cell in the islets. The beta cells are particularly important because they make insulin. Degeneration of the beta cells is the main cause of type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.
Glucose, a simple form of sugar, enters the blood from the intestines, where it is absorbed from food and sugary drink as a natural part of digestion. It is also produced by the liver, which acts as a store of energy.
One of the many functions of the blood is to carry glucose around the body. When it reaches the various body tissues, such as the muscle cells, it is converted into energy. The precise concentration of glucose in the blood is automatically regulated. Crucial to this is the hormone insulin, which is secreted into the blood by the pancreas – a gland found behind the stomach.
Insulin is required for the conversion of glucose into energy. With the digestive system and liver working normally, a shortage of insulin causes glucose to build up in the blood, leading to the symptoms of diabetes.
Blood glucose is the amount of glucose in your blood at a given time. It is important to check your blood glucose because it will:
* Give you a quick measurement of your blood glucose level at that time
* Alert you if your blood glucose level is too high or too low
* Show you how food, exercise, medication, illness and even stress affect your blood glucose levels
* Help you and your diabetes healthcare team make changes to your lifestyle and medication that will improve your blood glucose management and long-term health.
There are two main types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). It can develop at any age, although it usually develops in children and young adults and is also referred to as juvenile onset diabetes. The affected person does not produce any of their own insulin and needs to take it by injection every day. Once it has developed, it is a life-long disease.
Type 2 diabetes occurs later in life and is sometimes known as late-onset diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM). It is described more fully in the separate BUPA factsheet.
There are about 1.4 million people in the UK who are known to have diabetes – and possibly nearly as many again who have not yet been diagnosed. Around 15% of these have type 1 diabetes, making it much less common than type 2.
Topics: All Posts, Diseases, Health, Physiology, Woman's Health |
