Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which patients present with absolute or relative insulin deficiency. It effects about 6% of western populations and is a major contributing factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease. Diabetes mellitus is also the leading cause of new blindness.

1. Types of Diabetes

There are four forms of the disease, classified as: types 1 and 2, gestational and other specific types.

a. Type 1 Diabetes

In people with type 1 diabetes the pancreas is not producing insulin, so blood glucose levels are higher than normal. People with this form of diabetes require daily insulin therapy to survive. This form is further split into idiopathic diabetes and immune mediated diabetes.

Type 1 accounts for around 10% to 15% of all people with diabetes. It is one of the most serious and common chronic diseases of childhood, with about half of the people with this form of diabetes developing the disease before age 18. It is also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes.

b. Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is marked by reduced levels of insulin (insulin deficiency) and/or the inability of the body to use insulin properly (insulin resistance). This form of the disease is most common among people aged 40 years and over and accounts for 85% to 90% of all people with diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes are obese.

c. Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy in about 3% to 8% of females not previously diagnosed with diabetes. It is a temporary form of diabetes and usually disappears after the baby is born. However, it is a marker of much greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Screening tests for gestational diabetes are usually performed around the 24th-28th week of pregnancy.

d. Other Specific Diabetes Types

This includes people who have diabetes as a result of a genetic defect, or exposure to certain drugs or chemicals.

2. Causes of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is caused by resistance to, or deficient production of, the hormone insulin, which helps glucose move from the blood into the cells.

In type 1 immune mediated diabetes, pancreatic beta cell destruction results in failure to release insulin and ineffective transport of glucose. There is no known cause for idiopathic diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, the beta cells release insulin but, receptors are insulin resistant and glucose transport is variable and inefficient. Some people may have conditions that can cause diabetes, such as Cushing’s syndrome, pancreatitis or liver disease.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include;

a. Obesity

b. History of Gestational diabetes

c. Lack of physical activity

d. Hypertension

e. Age 45+

f. Ethnic groupings other than anglo-saxon

g. Low HDL cholesterol levels

h. Impaired glucose tolerance

i. Family history

3. Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of diabetes include; dehydration, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent need to urinate, fatigue, lethargy, severe irritation and itching, excessive hunger, blurred vision, skin and urinary infections and vaginitis.

4. Diagnosis

Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance may be detected on routine blood tests as part of a general health check up or investigation for other symptoms or diseases. Diabetes tests check blood glucose levels.

Fasting blood glucose levels are classified as:

Normal: less than 100 mg/dl

Prediabetes: 100 to 125 mg/dl

Diabetes: greater than 125mg/dl

Because symptoms can be mild, diabetes is often detected when a person suffers a problem that is caused by diabetes, such as a heart attack, stroke, neuropathy, poor wound healing or a foot ulcer, certain eye problems, certain fungal infections, or delivering a baby with macrosomia or hypoglycemia.

5. Diabetes Treatment

Effective treatment endeavors to normalize blood glucose and reduce complications using insulin replacement, diet and exercise. For those with very mild diabetes, diet plus weight loss plus exercise may be enough to keep blood glucose within reasonable levels.

Dietary changes should focus on the ideas of weight loss and blood sugar regulation by keeping the blood sugar levels relatively stable throughout the day, avoiding big peaks or troughs.

The principal treatment of type 1 diabetes, even from its earliest stages, is replacement of insulin combined with careful monitoring of blood glucose levels using blood testing monitors.

Type 2 diabetes may require oral anti-diabetic drugs to stimulate body insulin production and increase insulin sensitivity. Various forms of natural supplements for diabetes treatment have also been postulated as effective.

People with unstable diabetes, or those requiring many injections a day, may benefit from an insulin pump which is worn on the body and delivers a continuous infusion of insulin via a needle implanted into the body.

Gestational diabetes is fully treatable but requires careful medical supervision throughout the pregnancy. Even though it may be transient, untreated gestational diabetes can damage the health of the fetus or the mother.

Treatment for all forms of diabetes need not significantly impair normal activities, if sufficient patient training, awareness, appropriate care, discipline in testing and dosing of insulin is taken

6. Complications

Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of adult kidney failure worldwide in the developed world. If undetected or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, heart attack, stroke and impotence.

Diabetes:

Diabetes is a chronic disease because of less insulin in body compared to healthy individual or resistance to insulin.

Carbohydrate, fat and protein are the major nutrients in our diet. Body cells utilize carbohydrate and fat for energy production and proteins or growth and development. After absorption from foods, these nutrients first enter into blood and then into cells. Insulin is required for entry of blood sugar into cells. Because of less insulin or resistance to insulin in diabetes, blood sugar cannot enter into cells and remain in blood.

Studies have shown that diabetes supplements like chromium, alpha lipoic acid and vanadium are useful in the management of diabetes.

Chromium supplements in diabetes:

Diabetes is associated with low concentrations of chromium in blood, so, an early, long-term addition of chromium as diabetes nutritional supplement to the standard therapy has been recommended in several studies. Some latest clinical reports also support the safety and therapeutic value of chromium supplementation for the management of high cholesterol and sugar in subjects with diabetes.

Chromium increases insulin receptor numbers and insulin binding to cells. Since chromium acts by increasing insulin efficiency, so lower amount of insulin is required in presence of chromium.

A clinical study published in ‘Diabetes Care. (2006, August)’ has shown that chromium supplementation in subjects with type 2 diabetes significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. Chromium supplementation also reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation .

A review article published in Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 December has mentioned that 13 of 15 clinical studies involving a total of 1,690 subjects reported significant improvement in at least one outcome of glycemic control. (Glycemic control is a medical term used for blood sugar levels in a person with diabetes). Chromium supplementation reduced blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and also reduced the requirements for drugs in diabetes.

Reduction in blood sugar and improvement in insulin sensitivity with chromium as diabetes supplement decreases the risk of long-term diabetes complications.

Alpha lipoic acid as diabetes supplement:

Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidant is a substance, which can neutralize the free radicals. Free radical can cause damage to major organs like blood vessels, heart, brain etc.

High blood sugar in diabetes increases free radical formation in body, which leads to complications of diabetes like atherosclerosis, heart problems, nerve damage and cataract. Antioxidant decreases free radicals in body and decreases risk of complications.

Numerous publications have confirmed the beneficial effects of lipoic acid in therapy of many diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, degenerative processes in neurons, diseases of joints,

A clinical study on diabetic patients treated with alpha lipoic acid was published in ‘hormones (Athens). 2006 Oct-Dec 5(4)’. The result of the study has proved that short-term oral alpha-lipoic acid treatment as diabetes nutritional supplement increases peripheral insulin sensitivity.

Improvement in insulin sensitivity can improve both blood sugar control and cardiovascular risk factors in diabetes.

In diabetes, blood sugar cannot enter into cells because of decrease response to insulin by body cells. Alpha lipoic acid improves the insulin response and enhances glucose uptake by cells, thereby improve the blood sugar levels.

Diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage is a complication of diabetes. It is a progressive disease, which can cause pain, loss of sensation and weakness, in the feet and sometimes in the hands. Studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid is effective in management of diabetic nerve damage and reduces pain associated with neuropathy.

Vanadium supplement for diabetes:

Vanadium is a trace mineral required by the body in small quantities. Numerous studies have shown that vanadium has insulin-like effects in liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue. It may improve glucose control in people with diabetes.

Along with chromium and alpha lipoic acid, some other diabetes supplements like evening primrose oil, fenugreek and some herbs also help in the management of diabetes.

For detail information on role of other nutritional supplements in diabetes and for scientifically formulated diabetes supplement, please visit

www.dietfordisease.com/diabetes-supplement.html

On “The Sopranos,” Aida Turturro plays the kooky sister of a mob boss – an aging hippie whose New Age mantras served as a wake-up call for her brother as he recovered from a life-threatening gunshot wound. In real life, it was Turturro who had the wake-up call three years ago when her doctor sat her down and warned her about the damage type 2 diabetes could be doing to her body.

The actress, who was initially diagnosed in 2001, knew it was time to get her blood sugars under control. Working with her doctor, a nutritionist and other specialists, Turturro learned how to balance the busy life of an actor with the detailed diet, exercise and insulin therapy demands of her disease.

Priority Publications: How has diabetes changed your life?

Aida Turturro: I have a lot of details to think about every single day. I need to do a lot of planning about food. When I take a car ride, I can’t stop at McDonald’s. I have to think, “Do I have a half an apple with me?” Every time I go away, like for filming, I have to make sure I have my insulin and all my supplies.

PP: Do you think the demands of your career as an actor have made it harder or easier to manage your diabetes?

AT: I don’t think I have it harder. But sometimes I’m on the set, we’re filming in some weird location and it’s really hard. I have to watch the time and watch my food and sometimes it’s like, “Guys, can you get me some turkey?” It’s hard for me if I’m getting up and filming at 4 a.m. and the next day it’s 11 a.m. As a diabetic, you want to keep a regular schedule, like one meal at nine o’clock and one meal at one o’clock. But you can’t always do that [on the set].

PP: What about scenes where you are supposed to be eating?

AT: I either don’t eat or I tell them, “Just give me vegetables.” If it’s a wine thing, I can’t drink the grape juice [they use] because it’s filled with sugar. So I have them go get this dye they use [in water]. I don’t eat the pasta. They know on the set, so they’re fine when I say, “I won’t eat that.”

PP: Has diabetes ever interfered with your career?

AT: It’s never stopped me from going to work. There are days I have a little struggle, but nobody knows at work. But, you know, I feel so much better [since seeking treatment]. For a while there, because I was out of control with my blood sugars, I was up and down, moody. And I was wiped out for a while – really exhausted. Now, I’ve got my energy back and I do 80,000 things.

PP: In that sense, would you say this has been a positive experience for you?

AT: I wouldn’t say it was positive. I think that it’s hard. I wish I didn’t have it. It’s a lot of work. But I’m grateful that I have it in a time when, with hard work, you can live a very healthy life.

PP: You’ve been visiting hospitals and speaking with other diabetics about your experience. What’s your motivating force?

AT: I’ve seen how much it helps other people. Even if I get one person to start taking care of themselves, then I’ve helped somebody.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Diabetes means a disease where people have too much sugar in their blood. The three main types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes , type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and ethnicity. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Symptoms may include fatigue or nausea, frequent urination, unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of wounds or sores.

Diabetes is not contagious. People cannot “catch” it from each other. About 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. There are 20.8 million children in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease. Diabetes mellitus is a disease where people have too much glucose (a kind of sugar) in the blood. Glucose level in the blood is controlled by several hormones. Hormones are chemicals in your body that send messages from cells to other cells. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Diabetes is likely to be underreported as the underlying cause of death on death certificates. About 65 percent of deaths among those with diabetes are attributed to heart disease and stroke.

Obesity is the single most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Between 80% and 90% of people with diabetes are overweight–that means they weigh at least 20% more than the ideal body weight for their height and build. More than 40 percent of people with diabetes have abnormal levels of cholesterol and similar fatty substances that circulate in the blood. These abnormalities appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among persons with diabetes. Nearly 40 percent of the women who have diabetes during their pregnancy go on to develop type 2 diabetes later, usually within five to ten years of giving birth. Diabetes prevalence in the United States is likely to increase for several reasons. First, a large segment of the population is aging. Education is important for both types of diabetes. Diabetics must learn about diet. Diabetics must also be careful about exercise. Exercise is important to stay healthy. High Cholesterol or other fats in the blood and Impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose can precede the development of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Treatment Tips

1. Medicines, diet, and exercise to control blood sugar and prevent symptoms and complications.

2. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is treated with insulin, exercise, and a healthy diet.

3. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is first treated with weight reduction, a healthy diet and regular exercise.

4. Gestational diabetes is treated with insulin and changes in diet.

5. Alcohol use Try to have no more than 7 alcoholic drinks in a week and never more than 2-3 in an evening.

6. Smoking: If you have diabetes, and you smoke cigarettes or use any other form of tobacco, you are raising your risks markedly for nearly all of the complications of diabetes.

7. Diet: A healthy diet is key to controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes complications.

8. Drink extra fluids that do not contain sugar before, during, and after exercise.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a defect in the body’s ability to convert glucose to energy. It is caused due to insufficient production of glucose by the pancreas. In diabetes patients, the production of glucose is impaired.

What are the symptoms of Diabetes?

Patients with Type-1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period of time, and the condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:



Increased thirst

Fatigue

Nausea

Increased urination

Weight loss in spite of increased appetite

Vomiting



However, because Type-2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar experience no symptoms at all.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes:



Increased thirst

Impotence in men

Increased appetite

Increased urination

Blurred vision

Fatigue

Slow-healing infections



How to diagnose diabetes?

The diagnosis of diabetes is made by a simple blood test measuring blood glucose level. Usually blood glucose level tests are repeated on a subsequent day to confirm the diagnosis. Your health care team may also request that you have a glucose tolerance test. If two hours after taking the glucose drink your glucose level is 200 or above, you will be diagnosed as having diabetes.

How can I control diabetes?



Gather all the information about diabetes, its symptoms and causes

Check your blood glucose level regularly

If find any symptom of diabetes, visit your health care team for diagnosis of diabetes

Ask your health care team about how to check blood glucose level at home

Stop smoking

Exercise daily

Follow a healthy meal plan

Check your vision at regular intervals, If found blurred visit your health care team

Check your feet regularly for checking the occurrence of diabetes

If you are diabetic, monitor you diabetes regularly

Follow instructions of health care team strictly

Avoid sweet ingredients, use sugar free food



Can diabetes be cured?

As yet, there is no treatment for either type of diabetes, although there are many ways of keeping diabetes in control. Studies have shown that good control of blood glucose (blood sugar) is the key to avoid diabetic complications later.

What are the treatment options to cure diabetes?

Diabetes is incurable. The only option is to prevent ourselves from diabetes or to keep diabetes under control.

Is diabetes a hereditary disease?

You are at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes.

Complications of Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you are much more likely to have a risk of stroke, heart disease, or a heart attack. In fact, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die from stroke or heart disease. There are three conditions that make people with diabetes vulnerable to foot problems. These are vascular disease and foot deformities. About 30 percent of patients with Type 1 diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of those with Type 2 diabetes eventually will suffer from kidney failure. Diabetes also may cause damage to nerves in your body.

Diabetes is a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people each year: without the proper management, diabetes can keep people from leading healthy, productive lives. Diabetes disease management, however, is not only difficult but costly. People with some types of diabetes need frequent insulin shots, or have to take oral insulin, both of which can be expensive. As a result, discount diabetic supplies are in high demand.

What diabetic medical supplies are required, and why are they needed by diabetics? Because diabetics can also suffer from a wide variety of complications, they also need to undergo different treatment regimens that can help ease these complications. Such complications can include cardiovascular disease, renal or kidney failure, liver failure, hypertension, and general organ and tissue damage.

Why is Insulin So Important?

There are three principal types of diabetes, and all of them involve the inability of pancreatic cells to produce the metabolic hormone insulin. Insulin aids in the breakdown of complex sugars and carbohydrates into forms that the body can use for energy. If insulin is not present in large quantities, or if insulin is not present in functional form, sugar levels can increase substantially in the blood. This can cause widespread tissue and organ damage, and, in extreme cases, result in sugar shock and eventual coma.

Type I Diabetes

Type I diabetes was once called juvenile diabetes, as it was often found and diagnosed in children. Type I diabetes is essentially an autoimmune disease. People with Type I diabetes have overactive immune systems that destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, so that they require constant doses of insulin.

Type II

Type II diabetes develops in adulthood, and is often associated with obesity, which scientists find is a large risk factor for this type of diabetes. In Type II diabetes, the body’s tissues and organs are resistant to insulin. This condition is similar to the third type of diabetes, which is called gestational or pregnancy-induced diabetes. Gestational diabetes arises because higher levels of pregnancy hormones can make organs more resistant to insulin; this diabetes type, however, generally disappears after delivery.

Insulin therefore has to be produced in large amounts in order to cater to the needs of rising numbers of people suffering from diabetes. This important hormone was once sourced from cadaver pancreases, which was a highly inefficient method that made insulin shots expensive. In the advent of recombinant DNA technology, however, microbial cells are used to produce large amounts of human insulin, which can then be harvested and purified from the microbial culture.

Today, insulin is available in oral or tablet form, which can be useful in dealing with all types of diabetes. However, insulin shots work best for Type II diabetics who are too far advanced in the disease and whose bodies do not have adequate resources to respond to tablets. Recently, insulin has also been approved in inhaled form, although this type of insulin is prescribed for people suffering from Type I diabetes.

What are Diabetic Supplies Used For?

In general, diabetic insulin supplies can be expensive: if not in oral form, people suffering from diabetes need syringes and specifically designed inhalers to deliver insulin. For people who are far advanced in the disease, dialysis machines can be in demand in order to clean out the kidneys or liver, and generally rid the body of toxins that its organs can no longer properly dispose of.

Many corporations and insurance companies can be contacted to provide information on diabetes supplies, as well as free diabetes supplies for patients who are in immediate need of therapy. For instance, Liberty diabetic supplies and Medicare are common examples of providers that work closely with doctors in ensuring proper medical care for diabetics, as well as efficient disease management.

Supplies For Diabetic Complications

There are also medical supplies that are used in therapy regimens that deal with complications of diabetes. For instance, diabetes can impede blood circulation and can damage the nerves of the feet. People with diabetes often need to undergo foot amputation in order to get rid of gangrenous tissue or foot ulcers. To prevent this from occurring, physicians will often prescribe physical therapy, which can require special machines to carry out. Physical therapy can keep nerves active, and muscles toned.

If you are suffering from any form of diabetes, you might be recommended some forms of therapy that will require you to purchase discount diabetic supplies. Always consult with your doctors and insurance company about them, as well as low-cost or free alternatives that are reliable and matched to your needs. With good maintenance, you can keep your diabetes in check, and you can still be healthy.