Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder in which blood sugar (Glucose) level are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin to meet its need. 

What is insulin?

Insulin, a hormone released from the Pancreas, controls the amount of sugar in the blood. When people eat or drink, food is broken down into materials, including the simple sugar glucose that the body needs to function. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin allows sugar to move from the blood into the cells. Once inside the cells, it is converted to energy, which is either used immediately or stored as fat or glycogen until it is needed.

If the body does not produce enough insulin to move the sugar into cells, resulting high levels of sugar in the blood and the inadequate amount of sugar in the cells together produce the and complications of diabetes.

What is Diabetes Mellitus type 1?

A form of diabetes mellitus that results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased glucose in blood and urine.

The more severe form of diabetes is type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes. It’s sometimes called “juvenile” diabetes, because type 1 diabetes usually develops in children and teenagers, though it can develop at any age.

Administration of insulin is essential for survival. Insulin therapy must be continued indefinitely.

What is Diabetes Mellitus type 2?

It is a long term metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin.

The most common form of diabetes is called type 2, or non-insulin dependent diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes is primarily due to obesity and lack of exercise in people who are genetically predisposed. Treatment focuses on diet and exercise. If blood sugar levels are still high, oral medications are used to help the body use its own insulin more efficiently. In some cases, insulin injections are necessary.

Common symptoms of diabetes mellitus include:-

Increased thirst, 

Frequent urination,

Unexplained weight loss,

 Increased hunger, 

Feeling tired, 

Sores that do not heal,

Tingling or numbness in the feet or toes

Common triggers of Diabetes Mellitus:-

-Hereditary (Genetic predisposition),

- Irregularities in diet, poor diet,

-Sedentary life style,

-Obesity,

-Stress

Scary Scenario

According to Diabetes Atlas published in 2007, there are 246 million diabetics across the world, with 80% of them in the developing and underdeveloped countries. 

According to the Lancet study, China, India and USA are among the top three countries with a high number of diabetic populations. The rise has been dramatic in India; it has more than doubled for men in India. It has also increased by 80 per cent among women in India (4.6 per cent to 8.3 per cent). (Can read more here)

As the global diabetic population hits 422 million - with a large chunk living in Asia, India - which continues to be the diabetes capital of the world with 67 million of its population affected by it.

Diabetes was the theme for the World Health Day set by the WHO. Currently 70,000 youngsters suffer from diabetes in India, which every year increases by a percentage of 2-3 percent due to the sedentary lifestyle. A recent study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) revealed that women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a problem in which a woman's hormones are out of balance, are highly prone to diabetes. The survey is worrying because according to experts, at least 50 percent of Indian women have the PCOS problem while in European countries, the figure drops to 5-10 percent. (Can read more here)

(Valuable information from – here 

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“The figures are indeed alarming, diabetes is like a silent killer, and we need to wake up from our comfort zone, sweat out and fight before it engulfs our entire continent”.