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Qs on science and my replies - part 264
The blood glucose levels become abnormal when our body becomes insulin resistant, or when the pancreas cells fail to produce more insulin. Body cells also fail to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. This results in increased levels of blood glucose than the normal level. This condition where the blood glucose levels become higher is known as diabetes.
Normal Blood Sugar Levels
- less than 100mg/dL after not eating for at least eight hours (fasting), and
- less than 140mg/dL two hours after eating.
Abnormal Blood Sugar Levels
The abnormal blood sugar levels are
- more than 130mg/dL before a meal (fasting), and
- more than 190mg/dL two hours after eating.
Causes Of Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetic condition is the condition when you are not diabetic and yet the blood glucose levels are higher than the normal levels. You are more prone to get pre-diabetes under the following conditions:
- Obese or overweight
- Your ethnicity is African American, Native American, Latino or Pacific Islander
- Diagnosed with gestational diabetes
- An unhealthy diet including drinking sugary beverages, eating red meat
- Suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome
Pre-diabetic blood sugar levels: Unless you don’t have risk factors like obesity, the genetic history of diabetes, and other health ailments, a blood sugar level from 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L ) is an indication of pre-diabetes.
Not taking proper care in pre-diabetic conditions can lead to diabetes. Thus, pre-diabetes is an early warning sign of the disease.
Causes Of Type 1 Diabetes
The other name of Type 1 Diabetes is juvenile diabetes because it is more common in children. It is a chronic condition where the pancreases are unable to produce a sufficient amount of insulin. It usually occurs during childhood or adolescence.
Type-1 diabetes causes:
- Auto-immune disease: When the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.
- Bacterial or viral infection can disturb the body immune system and can lead to diabetes
- Genetic factors: Variations in HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRB1 genes that help in immune system response can cause diabetes [2].
- Chemical toxins: Certain chemical toxins alter the immune response and damage beta cells of the pancreas leading to diabetes.
Causes Of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a medical condition that affects the way your body metabolizes or processes blood sugar. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually.
- In type-2 diabetes, the cells are unable to absorb the proper amount of glucose from blood due to cells becoming resistant to insulin.
- This increases blood glucose levels.
- Higher glucose levels signal the pancreas to produce more insulin
- This causes beta cells of the pancreas to grow weak and thus results in insulin deficiency.
Thus, the blood sugar levels increase, and over time it impacts the circulatory system and nervous system.
Several factors lead to type 2 diabetes. Still, the exact cause of type-2 diabetes is not clear. The possible causes are:
- Obesity and an inactive lifestyle
- Higher production of glucose in the liver
- Genetic influence and hereditary
- Beta-cell dysfunction in the pancreas
Gestational diabetes is a condition in which the blood glucose levels of a woman become high during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones that help to build up glucose in the body. If the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin to handle this condition, the blood sugar levels begin to rise. This finally leads to gestational diabetes.
Causes:
- Obesity and overweight
- Excessive weight gain during pregnancy
- Polycystic ovary syndrome causes weight gain
- Genetic history of diabetes
Factors that Lead to Diabetes
In the report on global diabetes prevalence it id found that urban people have more diabetes than rural areas [1]. The main factor contributing to the rise in the urban area is an improper lifestyle, improper diet, stress, and less physical activities.
A person is more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes if he/she has:
- Insulin resistance – With insulin resistance, the body cells don’t respond to insulin effectively. Due to this, glucose can’t move to cells and starts building up in the blood.
- Sedentary lifestyle – Inactive lifestyle without enough exercise leads to weight gain and health risks like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
- Age – As age increases the risk of diabetes increases. It is mainly common after 45 years.
- Ethnic background – Ethnic groups like Hispanic/Latino Americans, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders are more prone to diabetes.
Thus, to remain healthy and to manage diabetes appropriately it is essential that you follow the proper diet plan, maintain a healthy lifestyle, manage weight and follow proper medication on time.
So if you want to eat sweets, reduce your intake of other carbohydrates and fats in food to maintain stable calorie intake and a healthy body weight. And don't forget to exercise to burn the extra calories.
Latest recommendations on how waist-to-height ratio can impact your health
New health guidance on the need to keep your waist size to half your height to ensure healthy living was recommended by Bayes Business School eight years ago.
In 2014, research from Bayes Business School showed that the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a better predictor of mortality risk than the commonly used BMI.
Today, draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has stated that an adult's waist should be less than half their height to reduce health risks, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The guidance, published ahead of the release of a full report in September, also says that while measuring body mass index (BMI) is useful it doesn't consider excess weight around the abdomen—scientifically termed "central adiposity."
These new recommendations come after researchers at Bayes Business School and Ashwell Associates called for the measurement—waist circumference divided by height—to replace BMI in primary public health screening.
The study found that as many as 20 years of life for men can be lost by failing to sustain your waistline. The figure is approximately 10 years for women.
Margaret Ashwell et al, Waist-to-Height Ratio Is More Predictive of Years of Life Lost than Body Mass Index, PLoS ONE (2014). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103483
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on
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31
You don't get diabetes if you eat sweets, directly that is. But indirectly you might get the condition if you eat lots of sweets. Because if you eat lots of sweets with sugar and fat your body weight increases. diet is a factor in diabetes risk. Obesity is one of the reasons why people become diabetic.
You should have the favourable conditions in your body to become diabetic.
Obesity increases the risk of diabetes because it can cause the body to:
Release fatty acids and glucose into the bloodFat tissue releases fatty acids and glucose into the blood, which can affect insulin-responsive cells and reduce insulin sensitivity.
Impair insulin signalingAdipose tissue releases hormones, glycerol, fatty acids, and pro-inflammatory cytokines that can impair insulin signaling.
Impair beta-cell functionChronically high lipid levels can impair the function of islet beta-cells, which produce insulin.
Increase inflammationToll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in inflammation-associated insulin resistance during obesity.
The risk of type 2 diabetes increases with body mass index (BMI). People with a higher percentage of upper body fat, like abdominal fat, are at higher risk than those with more lower body fat.Weight loss can help improve insulin resistance and other related issues.
That is why doctors ask you to reduce your weight. To reduce weight you should have control over eating sugar content.
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