Hypoglycemic Activity of Gynura Procumbens in Alloxan-Induced

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Background of the Study

Diabetes mellitus is a serious metabolic disorder wherein the person has high blood glucose level either due to inadequate insulin production or the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin (Nordqvist, 2010). There are three main types of diabetes namely Type I (insulin-dependent), Type II, and gestational diabetes. All these types are characterized by hyperglycemia or high blood glucose level. A person with diabetes may experience many symptoms such as high blood sugar, high glucose content in urine, weight loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, infections, blurred vision, and lethargy or coma (NDIC, 2013).

Diabetes is continuing to be a major health problem in the world. The number of people with diabetes is increasing because of population growth, aging, urbanization, and increasing prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity. Globally in, 382 million people have diabetes in 2013 and by 2035, it is projected to rise to 592 million (IDF, 2013). Approximately 90% of diabetes cases worldwide are type II. Diabetes is the main cause of blindness, amputation, and kidney failure and the WHO projects that it will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030. In 2010, an estimated 3.4 million people died due to the consequences of high blood sugar (WHO, 2013). Diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death from 1999 to 2002 in the Philippines. As of 2005, diabetes affected one in every 25 Filipinos. In the Philippines, there were 3.4 million diabetes cases in 2010, representing a prevalence rate of 7.7 percent and by 2030, the prevalence rate is projected to rise to 8.9 percent or 6.16 million cases (Valisno, 2013).

At present, the management of diabetes is still a global problem and a successful treatment...

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Valisno, Jefferey O. (2013, April). Diabetes and the Filipino Diet. Retrieved from www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph

World Health Organization. (2013, October). Diabetes. Retrieved from www.who.int/mediacenter/factsheets/fs312/en

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