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Reference Material on Diabetes
NYT GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE:
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels that result from the body’s inability to make or use insulin, a hormone pro-duced by the pancreas that plays a vital role in metabolism. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, hunger, weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vision. Diabetes can lead to debilitating and life-threatening complications including blindness, memory problems, kidney disease, heart disease, nerve damage, and amputations.
The most common type is type 2 diabetes, previously called adultonset diabetes. It usually develops because the body fails to use insulin properly. It occurs in people, including children, who are overweight; other risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, ethnicity, and a family history of diabetes. Treatment includes a healthy diet, weight loss, and regular exercise. Many patients require daily insulin injections.
Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, usually develops in childhood. It is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. Genetic predisposition combined with exposure to viruses are the main risk factors. Treatment consists of carefully monitored insulin replacement, typically via needles or a special pump.
A small percentage of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, sometimes labeled type 3, as a result of changing hormonal levels. Blood sugars often return to normal after delivery, but almost half of the women who experience gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
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