Introduction

In 2012, an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes and another 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high blood glucose

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that occurs either when the pancreas(the organ behind your stomach) does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar . Diabetes will lead to raised blood sugar known as hyperglycemia, and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels

Types of Diabetes
There are 3 major types according to WHO, which are:
Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

It is also called insulin-dependent diabetes, because it requires daily administration of insulin. It used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes, because it often begins in childhood.The cause of type1 diabetes is not known and its not preventable with current knowledge.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin . Type 2 diabetes comprises the majority of people with diabetes around the world , and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Gestational diabetes

It is characterised by high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy. It happens in about 4% of pregnancies.
Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and at delivery. They and their children are also at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.

Consequences of diabetes?

Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves:

Adults with diabetes have a 2-3-fold increased risk of heart attacks and strokes , chance of foot ulcers, infection and eventual need for limb amputation.Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure

signs and symptoms of type 1and type 2 diabetes are:
Some of the signs and symptoms you will experience if you have diabetes are:
Increased thirst,Frequent urination ,Extreme hunger ,Unexplained weight loss ,Presence of ketones in the urine ,Fatigue,Irritability,Blurred vision,Slow-healing sores,Frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections

Risk factors
This following situations will increase your chance of having the disease:
Family history:Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 1 or 2 diabetes.

Weight:The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.

Inactivity:The less active you are, the greater your risk.

Age: Your risk of getting type 2 diabetes increases as you get older.

High blood pressure:Having blood pressure over 140/90 (mm Hg) is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Laboratory diagnosis
Your doctor may request you to perform the following tests, that will aid in the diagnosis of diabetes
1)Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test.
2)Random blood sugar test.
3)Oral glucose tolerance test.
4)Fasting blood sugar test.

Prevention
Some of the ways diabetes can be prevented are:
1)Achieve and maintain healthy body weight;
be physically active at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days.
2)Eat a healthy diet
3)Avoid sugar and saturated fats intake
4)Avoid tobacco use , smoking increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Treatment
Diabetes is not a death sentence,it can be managed in the following ways:

1)Healthy eating:You'll need to center your diet on more fruits, vegetables and whole grains — foods that are high in nutrition and fiber and low in fat and calories — and cut down on animal products, refined carbohydrates and sweets

2)Physical activity:Regular and consistent physical exercise is needed.

3)Insulin:People with type 1 diabetes need insulin therapy to survive. Many people with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes also need insulin therapy.

4)Transplantation :In some people who have type 1 diabetes, a pancreas transplant may be an option.

5)Oral antidiabetic agents:maintains and reduces the blood sugar level eg metformin,Glimepiride,glibenclamide

References:http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/,http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/types-of-diabetes-mellitus#1

WRITTEN BY AGBELEJOYE SODIQ CEO MED-LAB DIAGNOSTICS

Educative and informative

We also need to know what to do to prevent diabetes



Op you shouldve quoted me before adding the preventive measures my question now makes it look like I didn't go through the post

subtlemee:
Educative and informative

We also need to know what to do to prevent diabetes



Op you shouldve quoted me before adding the preventive measures my question now makes it look like I didn't go through the post

Sorry your comment came in while i was still editting the post

sodsak:


Sorry your comment came in while i was still editting the post

Its okay