Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin. When the body turns the food eaten into energy (also called sugar or glucose), insulin is used to move this sugar into the cells. If someone produces little or no insulin, or if the body cannot use the insulin (insulin resistant), the sugar remains in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells. Over time, high levels of sugar in the blood damage tiny blood vessels throughout the body including the filters of the kidneys. As more damage occurs to the kidneys, more fluid and waste remain in the bloodstream instead of being removed.
Symptoms of diabetes

The American Diabetes Association lists the symptoms of diabetes as:
Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Extreme hunger
Unusual weight loss
Excessive fatigue
Irritability
Blurry vision

Sometimes you’ll go to restaurants that have just what you want and need. Other times, you may have trouble finding something that fits into your meal plan. If that happens, remember that you’re in the driver’s seat. You don’t just have to order blindly or take whatever is on the menu. Many restaurants will answer your questions and make substitutions, if you request them.

Try these tips when you’re dining out:

Some pregnant women have such high levels of glucose in their blood that their body cannot produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes. It is quite rare affecting less than 1 in 20 pregnant women. Gestational diabetes usually disappears after the baby is born. However, women who develop gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Diabetes affects 2 million people in the UK and there may be as many as a million more people who have the condition but do not know about it. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is increased if it runs in your family. Nine out of ten people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes and over 80% of these people are overweight. However, symptoms can develop slowly over time, or not at all. Routine screenings are the most effective way to diagnose the condition.

Through SWFD, you have the ability to improve the health of your school community:
Earn up to 15 percent back for school medical supplies and PE equipment.
Educate your school community about type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Teach educational lessons that align with National PE and Health Standards.
Promote continued healthy living and activity through thank you gifts.
Raise money to support the mission of the American Diabetes Association — to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.
Give students an opportunity to show their school spirit and earn community service hours.

Glycosuria is a condition in which glucose or simple sugar is detected in the urine despite of normal blood sugar level. The normally functioning kidneys absorb and reabsorb the extra blood sugar till renal threshold, with the help of millions of micro tubules – Nephron (filtering unit of kidney). The renal threshold is a concentration level above which all simple sugar is not absorbed in the blood, hence extra glucose is excreted by the kidneys in the urine. Renal threshold of normal kidney is around 10mmol/L. In few cases, when drugs are being used for a longer span of time, it may alter the threshold level of kidney. The amount of glucose not reabsorbed by the kidneys is usually less than 0.1%. Adults excrete about 65 mg of glucose per day. The relationship between glycosuria and the renal threshold are explained in the diagram given below.

As blood sugar begins to fall the counter regulatory hormone like glucagon, another hormone stimulates break down of glycogen and releases glucose, causing blood glucose level to rise. For diabetes, glucagon response to hypoglycemia is impaired, which makes it tough for the body to revert back the normal blood glucose level.

When blood glucose remains higher than 200mg/dl for 8-10 weeks, the concentration of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) arise. A (HbA1c) measurement therefore reflects the blood glucose control over a preceding 2-3 months period, while the estimates of blood glucose indicate the glucose value at the time of blood test. HbA1c values between 6-7% indicate very good control on diabetes. You should aim at keeping your blood glucose in the normal range i.e. between 90-130 mg/dl while fasting and less than 180 mg/dl after meals and HbA1c around 7%. Frequent tests for blood glucose are necessary when starting treatment with insulin.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where in human body does not produce or properly uses insulin, a hormone that is required to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by constant high levels of blood glucose (sugar). Human body has to maintain the blood glucose level at a very narrow range, which is done with insulin and glucagon. The function of glucagon is to release glucose from the liver to the blood stream so that, it can be transported to body tissues and cells for the production of energy.

April 12, 2008 Researchers say that eating too many eggs can be bad for diabetic men. U.S. researchers revealed Wednesday that more than 6 eggs in a week increases a person’s risk of death. And that was especially true of diabetic men, who seem to face an increased risk of death. Egg consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease and mortality: the Physicians’ Health Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 87, No. 4, 964-969, April 2008. [Story at AHN: Abstract at AJCN; full text at AJCN, requires subscription.]