Diabetes and your body

Diabetes and your body

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS?

Diabetes mellitus is a disease of antiquity. It is a metabolic disorder of multiple etiologies. It is characterized by hyperglycemia with disturbances in the carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, resulting from defects of insulin secretion, insulin action or both. The relative contribution of these defects varies between different types of diabetes. The characteristic clinical presentation is with polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, blurred vision, and unexplained weight loss.

WHAT CAUSES DIABETES?

Modifiable risk factors such as obesity, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are the main non-genetic determinants of Type 2 Diabetes. Genetic predisposition plays an important part in the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Obesity (body-mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) is the strongest risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes and is associated with metabolic abnormalities resulting in insulin resistance.

A sedentary lifestyle is another risk factor for the development of Type 2 Diabetes. The primary benefits of physical activity in delaying the onset of Type 2 Diabetes include increased glucose uptake in muscles and reducing notorious intra-abdominal fat. Moderate-intensity exercise improves glucose uptake by 40%.

On the other hand, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease in which destruction of pancreatic beta-cells causes absolute insulin deficiency which leads to hyperglycemia