What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream is too high because the body cannot use it properly. Glucose is used as fuel or as building bloc and comes from digested carbohydrates in food (bread, rice, potatoes) or from the liver where it is stored (in a special form as glycogen). It is important to keep the concentration of glucose at strict levels, since excess blood sugar levels cause vision problems, kidney damage, nerve damage, heart and circulation problems.
In diabetic patients glucose is not well transported into the body cells because either the level of the helper hormone insulin is too low (type-1) or the body cells do not respond to it properly (type-2). In response to the high blood sugar levels, kidneys work double time to get rid of it. Because of the frequent urination, people with diabetes crave for more liquid to maintain a proper water level in the body.
Insulin
Initially insulin could only be purified from animal sources in order to treat diabetics. The first successful insulin preparations came from cows that were slaughtered for food. Later, pancreatic tissues from pigs were also used for the isolation of insulin preparations, that enjoyed increasing purity. Even today bovine and porcine derived insulin would work very well for most diabetes patients. However most of the insulin preparations prescribed today is 'human' insulin, the result of advances in molecular genetic techniques. The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly went on in 1982 to sell the first commercially available biosynthetic human insulin under the brand name Humulin.
hyperglycemia
Glucose concentrations in the bloodstream rise (hyperglycemia) if insulin is low or absent (type-1 diabetes) or when glucose is not taken up by the body cells (type-2 diabetes). This condition is typical for diabetic patients and results in a range of symptoms: excessive thirst, excessive urination, poor wound healing. Recurrent high glucose levels cause damage to the blood vessels and to the organs they supply, leading to further complications of diabetes.
hypoglycemia
Too low concentrations of glucose in the bloodstream (hypoglycemia) can occur when insulin is administered but no food is taken. Glucose concentrations drop and while body cells may revert to the use fat as an energy source. Nervous cells only have very small internal stores of glycogen and therefore cannot cope well with hypoglycemia. Lack of sufficient glucose concentrations in the bloodstream can then cause the central nervous system to malfunction: dizziness and even loss of consciousness, known as "hypoglycemic coma" can occur. Severe acute or prolonged hypoglycemia may result in brain damage or death.
Treatments
Diabetes type 1 treatment must be continued indefinitely with careful monitoring of blood glucose levels and subcutaneous insulin injections. The major goal in treating diabetes is to minimize any elevation of blood sugar (glucose) without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar. Treatment for type 2 diabetes also requires a lifelong commitment to monitor blood sugar levels, healthy eating, regular exercise and possibly, diabetes medication or insulin therapy. These steps will help keep blood sugar level closer to normal, which can delay or prevent complications.
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