Diabetes - The Silent Killer

There are in fact two main variations of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2, and they are completely different in root cause. There is also a type of diabetes called gestational diabetes that only affects pregnant women.

To understand diabetes, we must first understand the part that insulin plays in our body. When we consume fructose, glucose or carbohydrates, our system converts them into glucose within the blood stream. In order to use the glucose for energy, our pancreas produces insulin which 'unlocks' receptors in our cells and permits the glucose to enter the cells and be used for energy.

In Type 1 diabetes the body fails to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar adequately. It is often called insulin dependant diabetes or juvenile diabetes, and it is usually found in people under 30 years of age.

The symptoms come on quite quickly and is recognised by severe thirst caused by an excess of glucose in the blood stream. This also results in frequent urination, another symptom. It is a chronic condition – that is, it is a lifelong illness. It seems that the pancreatic cells that create the insulin might have been damaged or destroyed by the body's own immune system.

Those suffering from Type 1 diabetes make up about 5-10% of those with diabetes and it is controlled by administering insulin either by injection or by a drip feed. There is a danger for type 1 diabetics that they may suddenly lose consciousness and they are also at serious risk of contracting further complications in later life.

A recent medical breakthrough has formulated a new treatment that involves the transplantation of islet cells, and even though the recipient needs to take drugs to stop the body rejecting the cells, the newly introduced cells are able to produce insulin and trial patients have reported greatly reduced need for insulin injection. It is hoped that the injections may one day be completely eliminated through more transplants of islet cells.

Type 1 diabetics are prone in their later years to suffer from vascular disorders, micro-sight problems, micro-sight problems and kidney problems due largely to deterioration in their blood vessels.

Type 2 diabetes applies to the vast majority of diabetes cases. Patients with type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cell receptors have become resistant to insulin. Their body must therefore produce more and more insulin to be able to 'unlock' the cells so that they can extract the glucose from the blood stream. Eventually, these sufferers get to the point where they are unable to produce enough insulin to lower the glucose in their blood stream.

The disease affects 15-20% of those over sixty. A substantial number of adults have the disease but are undiagnosed. It is frequently diagnosed during a medical check-up following complaints of problems such as urinary, skin or chest infections.

Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through weight reduction and diet control or through tablets. Although there is a definite genetic link to the disease in a high number of cases, it is kick started by being overweight, not taking sufficient exercise and eating too much food high in high glycaemic index carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, white bread and fruit).Exercise, weight management and an eating regime low in fructose, sugars and processed carbohydrates are acknowledged to be important as avoidance techniques.

More alarming is the recent trend of type 2 diabetes cases occurring in children. This is thought to be due to the prevalence of overweight children, together with the shortage of exercise that overweight children take and the foods they eat that are high in carbohydrates and sugar with a high glycaemic index.

Gestational diabetes affects around 4% of women during their pregnancy. Most women recover from this form of the illness once the baby has been born, but it does appear to indicate an increased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes later in their lives.

The most common sign of diabetes is constant thirst and subsequent regular urination. Other symptoms include unexplained weight loss, dizziness, constant fatigue, itching and pain in the legs whilst walking.

If diabetes only meant taking insulin for the rest of your life, it wouldn't be such a serious illness. Sadly, people suffering from diabetes have a number of increased risks including:

- twice the rate of heart disease as non-diabetics

- five times the risk of having a stroke

- the most frequent cause of amputation of limbs discounting accidents

- Diabetes is the most likely cause in all new cases of blindness in persons aged between 24 and 74

- The cause of over 33% of new cases of kidney disease and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease.

Accurate and consistent management of blood sugar levels lowers the chances of any of the above occurring.