Diabetes is a group of chronic diseases that is normally characterized by increased blood glucose level due to defects in Insulin secretion or insulin action or may be both. In medical terms diabetes is called as ‘Diabetes Mellitus’. Research has found out that diabetes has already affected some 300 million of population Worldwide and the number is increasing significantly every year. This disease is like a ‘silent killer ‘and canaffect people of any age group. Suffering from diabetes for a long period can lead to other complications like renal failure, loss of vision and tissue damages in some patients if not treated in time.
HISTORY OF DIABETES
Diabetes is known as ‘ Madhumeha'(sweet urine disease) in local languages as it was found that ants were attracted towards the urine of a diabetic patients. The word ‘ Diabetes ‘ was derived by the Greeks meaning excessive urination with dehydration. But they never believed that the urine contained sugar. Until 18th century Diabetes was considered as a Kidney disease by many doctors of the World. The sweet taste of the urine is caused due to glucose and thus the reason that diabetic patients have increased level of glucose in their blood and urine. This was known since 17th century by Thomas Willis. However themodern notion about diabetes was discovered by Oskar Minkowski that diabetes is caused due to removal of pancreas. This was followed by discovery of insulin in the year 1921-1922.
The three major symptoms of diabetes are thirst, excessive urination (also called polyurea) and weight loss. A person suffering from diabetes usually loses glucose through urine and as a result other forms of fluid and smaller molecules are drawn with it thereby causing frequent urination which in turn causes excessive dehydration and thirst. Most of the diabetic patient can suffer weight loss due to breaking down of ‘reserved’ protein and fats in order to compensate for the ‘lost glucose’ of the body and the metabolic inefficiency caused due to lack of insulin action. Older patients suffering from Type II diabetes may not even show these symptoms unless and until they have taken the blood test for diabetes.
DEFINITION
Diabetes is defined as a disease caused by a deficiency of the pancreatic hormone insulin, which results in a failure to metabolize sugars and starch. Sugars accumulate in the blood and urine and the byproducts of alternative fat metabolism disturb the acid base balance of the blood, causing a risk of convulsion and coma. [ www.wikipedia.com.]
EPIDEMIOLOGY INGENERAL:
Diabetes is a well-known disease throughout the World and nearly 285 millions of people in the World are already affected by Type II diabetes. It is estimated that in the next 20 years the number may increase to 435 million. Further studies have shown that with the increased amount of junk food intake and sedentary lifestyles that the today’s generations are leading, obesity is one of the prime concerns which in turn are the first step towards getting affected by Type II diabetes. Statistical analysis has shown that almost about 6.6% of the total population of the World between the age group of 20 -79 years are already affected.
CLASSIFICATION OF DIABETES MELLITUS
Diabetes Mellitus has been classified into two main categories as Type 1 and Type II as they are commonly known as.
1) Type 1 diabetes (also called as Juvenile ‘ onset or insulin dependent diabetes): In this case, the body's immune systemdestroys the cells that produces and releases insulin . In the long run insulin production in the body is stopped completely. Without insulin, absorption of sugar (glucose), which is required to produce energy is not possible. Research says that 5 to 10 out of 100 people normally suffer from this type of diabetes.
2) Type II diabetes (also called adult – onset or non-insulin dependentdiabetes): In this type of diabetes, the body cannot utilize the insulin in the right way. This is also called as insulin resistance. As the body continues to function in this way, during the later stage, the pancreas produces lesser and lesser amounts of insulin and thus this is known as insulin deficiency. Almost about 90 -95% of the World are affected by Type II diabetes. Initially there was a myth that diabetes canaffect people in the age group of 45 and above but the actual research have shown that this can affect people of any age .
Type I and Type-II, as defined above are now discussed in brief:
TYPE I DIABETES
In this case the immune system is activated in such a way that it destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas ,(a large gland behind the stomach) This in turn produces an auto immune condition thereby destroying the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Detailed studies have shown that Type I diabetes is not curable by changing the lifestyles and diet management and once the patient is affected, it is very difficult to prevent them…