What is Diabetes?
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood is too high. Diabetes results from a lack or an insufficient amount of insulin to control the sugar levels in your blood.
All living cells need energy to carry out the chemical processes which allow us to survive.This energy comes from the food we eat, like carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
The cells in our body use glucose for energy. When we eat a meal, carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars like glucose, which are then circulated throughout the blood stream. Glucose enters cells where it is used as energy.
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The process of allowing glucose to enter a cell is facilitated by a hormone called insulin. Insulin is produced in the pancreas by a specialised group of cells called beta cells (β cells). Without insulin, glucose cannot enter cells in the body and this results in a high level of glucose in the blood.
Without glucose and therefore without energy, a cell cannot function properly.
There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes (formally known as dependant diabetes mellitus (IDDM)) is a condition in which the body cannot make insulin because insulin producing cells in the pancreas have been damaged by your immune system.
Type 1 diabetes usually appears in young people (under 40 years of age) and requires treatment with insulin injections.
Type 2 diabetes:
Develops if a person produces an insufficient amount of insulin and/or when their body is resistant to the action of insulin. Type 2 diabetes usually appears in older people and can be treated with a combination of diet, exercise, tablets and/or insulin injections.
Other types of diabetes
- Diabetes due to diseases of the pancreas
- Diabetes which starts in pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes or GDM.
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