The aim of this website is to give you information about the basic mechanisms involved in controlling glucose in the blood as well as detailed information about Type I diabetes including the causes, diagnosis, treatment as well as the consequences it has on the patients who are diagnosed with the disease. We also hope to give an insight into the current research occurring in this subject area and cover several fundraising and charity projects related to the cause.

 

 

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of chronic medical diseases that is related to an inability of monitoring and control blood glucose levels in a homeostatic mechanism vital for body function. There are several different types of Diabetes, the main two divisions known as Type I and Type II.

The maintaining of blood glucose levels in the body mainly involved monitoring the blood and then releasing hormones which they alter the blood glucose levels accordingly. The major organs involved in this homeostatic mechanism are the pancreas and the liver. The liver is where the blood carrying the newly absorbed nutrients from the digestion of food travels to, via the hepatic portal vein. The Pancreas is responsible for the release of the hormones to trigger the response and thus returning the blood glucose levels to the norm. The two major hormones involved are insulin and glucagon. Insulin is responsible for the uptake of glucose from the blood and glucagon triggers the release of glucose from stores in the liver. 

Comaprison between Type I and Type II diabetes using key and lock theory - Diabetes UK

Patients with Type I diabetes are unable to produce insulin due to the lack of insulin-producing cells. These have subsequently been destroyed in what is normally referred to as an anti-immune response. This could have been triggered by an infection or exposure to a a virus. In majority of cases, the cause is idiopathic. As a result, the onset of this type of diabetes is very sudden and rapid and is triggered predominantly in children and teens. It is estimated that between 5% and 15% of diabetic patients suffer from Type I diabetes and this is mainly treated by Insulin intramuscular injections into the body.

In contrast, Type II diabetes is developed when there is a decreased amount of insulin produced by the body or when insulin resistance increases and insulin is no longer recognised. Similarly, there is also insufficient insulin in the body to result in glucose uptake into stores and therefore symptoms are very similar to that of Type I diabetes. The onset for Type II diabetes is much later (over the age of 40) and it has been found that those with a South Asian heritage have a high predisposition and are therefore at a higher risk of developing the disease. Type II diabetes is the most common type of diabetes diagnosed in today’s society contributing to between 85% and 95% of cases. In this case medication varies and can normally be taken orally.

 

Diabetes Mellitus, as a whole, is becoming more common throughout the world with an increase of about 2.8% annually. Below is a graph showing the prevalence of the disease.

Prevalence Map of Diabetes 

English: Prevalence of diabetes worldwide in 2000 (per 1000 inhabitants). World average was 2.8‰.
 
   no data
   less than 7.5
   7.5-15
   15-22.5
   22.5-30
   30-37.5
   37.5-45
   45-52.5
   52.5-60
   60-67.5
   67.5-75
   75-82.5
   more than 82.5

  

As you can see, the western world is affected more severely, but this is estimated to be as a result of the lifestyle and wealth of the countries affected. Such countries include majority of the United States of America as well as some areas of Europe such as Spain and Portugal. With regards to the UK, we lie within the middle range of the scale, housing over 2 million diabetic patients in total.

Summary of Diabetes Video - Including Sign Language

source: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/