"Diabetes"
is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly
use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert
sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily
life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although
both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity
and lack of exercise appear to play roles.
There are 23.6 million
children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the
population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million
have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million
people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have
the disease." American
Diabetes Association
Excerpt
from article by Pamela Eliowitz as published in April 2009
CLOGGED PIPES?
Arterial Disease: Its Causes and Consequences!
by Pamela Eliowitz,
RN, Acute Dialysis, UCSD
DIABETES
is a major contributor in arterial disease, especially when
it is not well controlled. It is defined as the inability
of the pancreas to release enough of the hormone insulin
to reduce the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Insulin
is actually produced by Islet cells within the pancreas.
Its function is to move blood sugar into the cells to nourish
them. If insulin is not available, the blood becomes stickier
and the cells become deprived of nourishment. They start
to break down. This causes chemicals to be released in response
to this irritating substance which then causes further blockages
in the smaller circulatory areas. Plaque buildup on the
lining of the artery walls is the result of the inflammation
process that this chemical reaction and malnutrition causes.
The integrity of the lining diminishes over time. This is
called an endothelium (arterial lining) injury. When there
is an injury to the arterial lining, repair work must begin
in order to keep the person from bleeding to death.
The immune system sends
out repair molecules and cells, such as the red blood cells,
white blood cells, fibrin, lipids (fats), amino acids, inflammatory
chemicals, bone building substances to patch up and reinforce
the lining of the arterial walls. Constant injury becomes
harder and harder to repair.
Additionally, if blood
sugar becomes too high, a person can go into a diabetic
coma. These are just some of the reasons why it is important
that a person with diabetes learns as much as they can about
the disease process, and how to keep it well controlled.
Blood Sugar Levels |
| Low Blood
Sugar |
<
60 |
| Well-Controlled
Blood Sugar |
61 to
110 |
| High Blood
Sugar |
>
110 |
Source: www.ama-assn.org
