By Vangeepuram Satakopan
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which affects just about every part of the body and the accompanying chronic complications can turn out to be very dangerous. While diabetes is characterized as a disease with elevated blood glucose levels, it is not actually that simple. There are actually several variants of the disease. The rarest form is the type 1 diabetes and only about 5% are affected by this form.
This type of diabetes is characterized by the total absence of the pancreatic hormone insulin. The only available and life- sustaining treatment is the injection of insulin. This form of diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes because the age of onset is usually below the age of twenty. It is an autoimmune disease because the immune system turns against self and destroys the insulin producing cells.
The second form of diabetes is called type 2 diabetes and is the most common form of diabetes. It is also called maturity onset diabetes as this disease usually strikes after the age of 50. This form is usually characterized by a deficiency of insulin and is treated with oral hypoglycemic agents which act by stimulating the secretion of insulin. This form of diabetes is also easier to tackle compared to type 1. Yet another form of diabetes is called insulin resistant diabetes and is gradually becoming common. The major reason for this type of diabetes is obesity. In obesity, there is a drastic reduction in the number of insulin receptors and thus, insulin although present, is unable to act. These diabetics also progress to type 2 diabetes. Yet another form of diabetes is called gestational diabetes. This is encountered in pregnant women and is usually transient in nature.
Another form of diabetes has been discovered in the year 2005. This has been called type 3 diabetes. This has also been called by several other names. These other names are 'double diabetes', 'hybrid diabetes' and 'type 1.5 diabetes'. It has been discovered that the brain can also produce insulin. The type 3 diabetes is brain specific and not much is known about it. Plaque formation is seen in the brain and is part of ageing.
It is believed that plaque formation reduces insulin synthesis in the brain. The brain insulin has several functions. The major function of insulin is to form memories at the synapses and in type 3 diabetes, this memory formation suffers. It is believed that the accumulating plaques destroy the insulin receptors. In this sense, this diabetes is similar to insulin resistant diabetes where also there is a decline in the number of insulin receptors.
Diabetes increases the risk for the Alzheimer's disease by 65%. This neurodegenerative disorder is dreaded by everyone because it robs an individual of his memories. It has been suggested that type 3 diabetes is closely linked to the development of the Alzheimer's disease. The brain produces its own cholesterol and the maximum amount of cholesterol is found in the brain.
In diabetes, the expression of the genes concerned with the synthesis of cholesterol is reduced. The deficiency of insulin in the brain as encountered in type 3 diabetes may be responsible for this decrease in cholesterol synthesis. The defective synthesis in cholesterol in the brain is believed to be the factor behind several neurological problems like eating disorders, impaired memory, depression, altered sensation of pain and impaired motor activity.
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which affects just about every part of the body and the accompanying chronic complications can turn out to be very dangerous. While diabetes is characterized as a disease with elevated blood glucose levels, it is not actually that simple. There are actually several variants of the disease. The rarest form is the type 1 diabetes and only about 5% are affected by this form.
This type of diabetes is characterized by the total absence of the pancreatic hormone insulin. The only available and life- sustaining treatment is the injection of insulin. This form of diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes because the age of onset is usually below the age of twenty. It is an autoimmune disease because the immune system turns against self and destroys the insulin producing cells.
The second form of diabetes is called type 2 diabetes and is the most common form of diabetes. It is also called maturity onset diabetes as this disease usually strikes after the age of 50. This form is usually characterized by a deficiency of insulin and is treated with oral hypoglycemic agents which act by stimulating the secretion of insulin. This form of diabetes is also easier to tackle compared to type 1. Yet another form of diabetes is called insulin resistant diabetes and is gradually becoming common. The major reason for this type of diabetes is obesity. In obesity, there is a drastic reduction in the number of insulin receptors and thus, insulin although present, is unable to act. These diabetics also progress to type 2 diabetes. Yet another form of diabetes is called gestational diabetes. This is encountered in pregnant women and is usually transient in nature.
Another form of diabetes has been discovered in the year 2005. This has been called type 3 diabetes. This has also been called by several other names. These other names are 'double diabetes', 'hybrid diabetes' and 'type 1.5 diabetes'. It has been discovered that the brain can also produce insulin. The type 3 diabetes is brain specific and not much is known about it. Plaque formation is seen in the brain and is part of ageing.
It is believed that plaque formation reduces insulin synthesis in the brain. The brain insulin has several functions. The major function of insulin is to form memories at the synapses and in type 3 diabetes, this memory formation suffers. It is believed that the accumulating plaques destroy the insulin receptors. In this sense, this diabetes is similar to insulin resistant diabetes where also there is a decline in the number of insulin receptors.
Diabetes increases the risk for the Alzheimer's disease by 65%. This neurodegenerative disorder is dreaded by everyone because it robs an individual of his memories. It has been suggested that type 3 diabetes is closely linked to the development of the Alzheimer's disease. The brain produces its own cholesterol and the maximum amount of cholesterol is found in the brain.
In diabetes, the expression of the genes concerned with the synthesis of cholesterol is reduced. The deficiency of insulin in the brain as encountered in type 3 diabetes may be responsible for this decrease in cholesterol synthesis. The defective synthesis in cholesterol in the brain is believed to be the factor behind several neurological problems like eating disorders, impaired memory, depression, altered sensation of pain and impaired motor activity.
May 24, 2013 at 4:37 AM
Proper and balance diet is the only and only solution to prevent from diabetes and if you are avoiding the vegetables and balance diet it means you are inviting this evil disease.
diabetes treatment