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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > D > Diabetes

Diabetes    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Diabetes mellitus

Definition:

Diabetes is a life-long disease of high blood sugar caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both.

Causes and Risks

To understand diabetes, first consider the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:

  • A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
  • An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

People with diabetes have high blood glucose. This is because their pancreas does not make enough insulin, or their muscle, fat and liver do not respond to insulin normally, or both.

There are three major types of diabetes:

  • Type 1 diabetes, which is usually diagnosed in childhood. The body makes little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are required to live. Without proper daily management, medical emergencies can arise.
  • Type 2 diabetes, which is far more common (about 90% of all diabetes cases) and usually occurs in adulthood. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to the insulin. Many people with Type 2 diabetes do not even know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to the growing number of older Americans, increasing obesity, and a lack of exercise. Without proper management, long-term health risks such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure can occur.
  • Gestational diabetes, which is high blood glucose at any time during pregnancy.

Diabetes affects 16 million Americans. There are many risk factors for diabetes, including:

  • Family history of diabetes (parent or sibling)
  • Obesity
  • Age greater than 45 years
  • Certain ethnic groups (African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans)
  • Diabetes during pregnancy or baby weighing more than 9 pounds
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat molecule)
  • High blood cholesterol level

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults be screened for diabetes at least every three years. A person at high risk should be screened more often.

Ency. home > Disease > D > Diabetes

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