HCV & Type 2 Diabetes: An Introduction - PDF

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HCV & Type 2 Diabetes: An Introduction - PDF

By Liz Highleyman

Diabetes is a condition in which blood

sugar levels are too high. This can occur

when the body does not produce enough

insulin or when cells do not use insulin

properly. Over time, high blood sugar levels

can lead to many complications, including

nerve damage and loss of vision.

Sugar and Insulin

Your body needs a type of sugar called

glucose as a fuel to provide energy. When

the foods you eat are digested and broken

down, glucose is released into the bloodstream.

In order for your cells to use this

sugar, they require a hormone called insulin.

Insulin acts as a “key†that allows glucose

to enter cells. Insulin is produced by

beta cells located in the Islets of Langerhans

of the pancreas.

Blood glucose levels fluctuate over the

course of the day. In most people, blood

sugar rises after eating, but soon returns to

normal levels. But if there is not enough

insulin -- or if the body cannot properly

use insulin -- glucose cannot enter the

cells and builds up to high levels in the

blood (a condition known as hyperglycemia).

When this happens, body and brain

cells are starved for energy, and prolonged

high blood sugar can lead to a variety of

health problems.

Types of Diabetes

There are two major types of diabetes:

· Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile

juvenile

diabetes (because it usually develops

in children) or insulin-dependent

diabetes mellitus. In people with Type

1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little

or no insulin (often because beta cells

have been destroyed by the body’s immune

system). Symptoms typically develop

rapidly, and may include increased

thirst and appetite, frequent

urination, and rapid weight loss. People

with Type 1 diabetes must inject

insulin.

· Type 2 diabetes is also known as

adult-onset diabetes or non-insulindependent

diabetes mellitus. It usually

develops in older, overweight people.

In people with Type 2 diabetes, either

the pancreas does not produce enough

insulin, the body cannot properly use

the insulin that is produced (insulin

resistance), or both. Some people with

this type of diabetes can control their

condition with diet and exercise modification,

but others must take oral

medications or insulin.

In addition, women may develop a condition

called gestational diabetes during

pregnancy. Blood sugar levels usually return

to normal once the baby is born.

However, women who develop gestational

diabetes while pregnant are at higher risk

of later developing Type 2 diabetes.

more:

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/About_Hepatitis_pdf/1.1_Hepatits_C/diabetes.pdf