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...
... middle of paper ...
...h M, Azlan A, Nasir S, Zakaria Z, Abdullah M. (2013, November 6). Ten Commonly Available Medicinal Plants in Malaysia Used for the Treatment of Diabetes – A Review. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 7(1-5).
University of Maryland Medical Center. (2013). Herbal Medicine. Retrieved from umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/herbal-medicine
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
World Health Organization. (1994). World Health Organization: Geneva. (78-79).
Zhang XF, Tan BK. (2000). Effect of an ethanolic extract of Gynura procumbens on serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Singapore Med J, 41(9–13).
* Aloe vera plant has been found to be favorable in the treatment of diabetes; it lowers glucose levels in the blood.
Diabetes mellitus also known simply as diabetes refers to a group of metabolic diseases which affect the body’s homeostatic mechanism used for maintaining and regulating the body’s blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a chronic condition which, in 2013 was estimated to be affecting 382 million people worldwide.[1] People suffering from diabetes are required to constantly be vigilant of their blood sugar levels to ensure it does not go below or above optimum levels. Depending on the type of diabetes and glucose level range, they may need to inject themselves with insulin or eat high sugar foods to restabilise their body. Failure to do so can lead to other long term health effects.[2]
The prevalence of diabetes according to the CDC is 26 million Americans currently diagnosed with diabetes, 79 million with pre-diabetes, and 7 million unaware they have diabetes.1 Diabetes is currently more prevalent in the western countries due to physical inactivity and obesity, but as more Eastern countries develop the western lifestyle it becomes an increasing worldwide epidemic.1 The risk for developing type 2 diabetes increases with age (especially after age 40), but is increasing most rapidly in the adolescent and young generation.1 It is therefore critical that education as well as drug therapies are implemented to decrease the rising prevalence of this illness.
There are three classifications of diabetes mellitus, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes (GD). The symptoms and effects of all three forms of diabetes are similar and the outcome for all three types is high blood glucose level or hyperglycemia. The noticeable symptoms include increased thirst (polydipsia), increased urination (polyuria), incre...
Jost, Kenneth. “Diabetes Epidemic: why is this serious disease on the increase?” The CQ Researcher (March 9, 2001): 185-200
Diabetes and uncontrolled sugar levels is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and the number one cause of adult onset blindness, lower limb amputations and kidney failure (healthy people citation). Additionally, those diagnosed diabetes have an amplified risk of having a heart attack and an overall increased mortality rate, both of which are proportional to 1.8 times greater than those not afflicted with diabetes (Healthy people). Obviously, without proper glycemic control, these number can be a much higher ratio; consequently, it is imperative proper health promotion measures are
The figure also shows that one in every eleven adults suffers from diabetes under the Sun. The facts and figures researched in this report clearly shows that diabetes has become one of the most common diseases, and we need more doctors and scholars who can make continuous and serious efforts to come up with a better medicine or treatment for diabetes.
Diabetes affects 18.2 million people in the United States. It is often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus and described as, “… a metabolic disease in which the person has high blood sugar …” (Collazo- Clavell et all. 2009), either because the insulin is inadequate or the body’s cells don’t respond well to the insulin. The health and economic consequences of diabetes are considerable. The majority of people that have diabetes live in low and middle income countries, where the prevalence of the disease is high. There are three types of diabetes that are called type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Although diabetes is a disorder, it can lead to other diseases such as heart attack, kidney failure or death. A person that has diabetes has to maintain a healthy lifestyle, by eating the right diet, controlling their blood sugar level, and be optimistic.
The main purpose of this article is to inform the readers about diabetes and ways to deal with/ prevent it.
The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus in is related to the insulin hormone. Insulin is secreted by cells in the pancreas and is responsible for regulating the level of glucose in the bloodstream. It also aids the body in breaking down the glucose to be used as energy. When someone suffers from diabetes, however, the body does not break down the glucose in the blood as a result of abnormal insulin metabolism. When there are elevated levels of glucose in the blood, it is known as hyperglycemia. If the levels continue to remain high over an extended period of time, damage can be done to the kidneys, cardiovascular systems; you can get eye disorders, or even cause nerve damage. When the glucose levels are low in one’s body, it is called hypoglycemia. A person begins to feel very jittery, and possibly dizzy. If that occurs over a period of time, the person can possibly faint. Diabetes mellitus occurs in three different forms - type 1, type 2, and gestational.
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body’s tissues absorb glucose which is sugar, so it can be used as a source of energy. Glucose levels build up in the blood and urine which causes excessive urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism in a diabetic person. Diabetes is very common in the United States; it is the seventh leading cause of all deaths. Women have been diagnosed with diabetes more than men. There are two forms of diabetes, Type one and Type two diabetes. Type one diabetes is when the body does not produce insulin or produces it in very small quantities. This usually occurs in younger people under twenty years of age, mostly around puberty. Type two diabetes is when the body’s balance between insulin production and the ability of cells to use insulin doesn’t work properly. This is more common than type one; about 90-95% people in the United States have it. There are no cures for diabetes now but there are many researchers investigating factors through new technologies to cure them. Meanwhile, technological advancements are being made to keep glucose at a good level for diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders which is characterized by hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency or resistance or both reasons. (1) According to that diabetes mellitus can be divided as type I and type II. This is common and its incidence is rising, 171 million people had diabetes in 2000 it is expected this condition to be doubled in 2030. It is spread in all the countries and therefore has become a major burden upon healthcare facilities. (2)
Zimmet, P., K.G. Alberti, and J. Shaw.2001. Global and societal implications of the diabetes epidemic. Nature 414 (December 13): 782-86
In conclusion, diabetes is a serious disease and can be life threatening. With the right research and implementation of new studies diabetes can be reduced among the populations. We as a people need to realize this epidemic and all get together and beat it. Restaurants need to stop putting chemicals and unnecessary fats in their food. Not only diabetics but everyone should educate themselves on what is going in your body when you eat. Also, exercising and getting off the couch, in children, needs to be addressed and that alone would help reduce diabetes in the younger population. I can’t stress enough on education. If you know what you are eating or how you are exercising you protect yourself from poor health and live a great life. Type 2 diabetes can be dwindled down with a conscious individual and group effort.
By 2011, nearly 1 million Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2011). People with diabetes are more likely to suffer other diseases with their heart, kidneys and eyes. As a result, diabetes is ranked in the top 10 causing of death in Australia (AIHW National Mortality Database,