Diabetes - a chronic, incurable disease that affects the body's ability to process energy from food. There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

All types of diabetes have common features. Normally, the human body breaks down sugars and carbohydrates consumed on a special type of sugar - glucose. Glucose is the "fuel" for the body's cells. However, cells need insulin - a hormone contained in the blood, which facilitates absorption of glucose and its processing into energy. Diabetic patients body either can not produce enough insulin or can not use the insulin produced, or these two problems are presented in the complex.

Since cells can not metabolize glucose, it accumulates in the blood. High blood glucose levels can damage the smaller blood vessels in the kidneys, heart, eyes, or nervous system. Therefore, in patients with diabetes - particularly non-conductive treatment - can later develop heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, until the nerves of the feet.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is called insulin. Previously, it was called the juvenile, because this type of diabetes often develops in childhood.

Type 1 diabetes - autoimmune disease. It occurs when the body begins to attack your thyroid antibodies. Therefore, in patients with type 1 diabetes damage to the pancreas can not produce insulin.

The cause of the disease may be genetic predisposition. It may also be the result of damaged beta cells of the pancreas which synthesize insulin.

With type 1 diabetes are associated some medical risk factors. Many of them are the result of damage to small blood vessels in the eye (diabetic retinopathy), nerves (diabetic neuropathy), and kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy). Even more serious is the risk of stroke and of developing heart disease.

For the treatment of type 1 diabetes insulin is used, which is introduced through an injection into the adipose tissue. Regularly held Hemoglobin A1C test to determine the level of glucose Glucose: The energy source   in the patient's blood during the past three months. This helps to completely control the level of glucose and the risk of complications caused by diabetes, including damage to internal organs.

Patients with type 1 diabetes have to radically change their lifestyle, which includes:

• Systematic analyzes on blood sugar Blood sugar - a very important indicator
• Careful planning of the diet
• Daily exercise
• Administration of insulin and other medications required.

People with type 1 diabetes can live a long active life, if you will carefully monitor the level of glucose in the blood will change the way of life and will strictly follow the treatment plan.

Type 2 diabetes

Much more common form of diabetes is type 2. He was called diabetes adulthood, as it often appears in people adults. Unfortunately, with the advent of the huge number of young people suffering from obesity and overweight, the disease is increasingly affecting teenagers and young adults. This type of diabetes is also called non-insulin dependent. 95% of middle-aged people with diabetes have this type of disease.

This form of diabetes easier than type 1 diabetes. But type 2 diabetes can cause serious complications, especially in the fact that due to the tiny blood vessels exercising the power of kidneys, nerves and eyes. In addition, it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke risk.

Normally, the thyroid gland of patients with type 2 diabetes produce some insulin. However, any amount that is insufficient to meet the needs of the organism or cells are resistant to insulin The principles of action of insulin - the science of saving lives . Insulin resistance occurs primarily in the fat, muscle cells and liver cells.

People who are obese - that is, people who weigh more than 20% above the ideal body weight for their growth - the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and associated complications is particularly high. These people have insulin resistance. This means that the pancreas has to work at full capacity, to synthesize more insulin. But still not enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels Blood sugar - one of the main indicators of human health .

Diabetes is incurable, but Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by optimizing the weight, diet and regular exercise. Unfortunately, this type of the disease is usually progressive, and receive medicines for the treatment of diabetes is essential.

To test the effectiveness of diet, exercise and medications recommended to regularly test A1C. It is necessary to monitor blood sugar levels and prevent damage to internal organs. Usually A1C test is carried out several times a year.

Blood sugar level is important for the whole body, since sugar (glucose) is a source of energy that is required for the cells of all biochemical processes involved in the metabolism. When you change the level of sugar in the blood is disturbed not only carbohydrate, but also protein and fat metabolism in the body.

Blood sugar - where does it come?

A constant source of glucose in the blood is glycogen or animal starch, which is found in all organs and tissues. But most of glycogen contained in the liver and muscle. Glucose also comes with a meal containing carbohydrates. When an excess of glucose in the blood from the digestive tract, it is converted by enzymes and glycogen reserve is deposited in the liver.

Glucose is needed for the cells to produce energy. The glucose in the human body is the source of energy the body needs for proper metabolism. Oxidation of glucose in the body occurs in the presence of oxygen, resulting in formation of carbon dioxide and water, releasing energy. This energy is accumulated in vysokoergicheskih compounds, mainly in ATP.

It helps cells use glucose pancreatic hormone insulin. If fed with food low in carbohydrates, the glucose into the bloodstream from the liver, which is its depot. If the blood glucose more than normal, then the cells remaining after the assimilation of glucose in the liver glycogen is formed - a strategic reserve of the body in case of famine.

In the liver, there is always the glycogen stores, so it is impossible to reduce the level of sugar in the blood of a healthy person, only a limited consumption of carbohydrates - the liver will continue to restore a normal (but not above normal) blood glucose. The blood sugar level will increase only in the case where the tissue cells can not absorb it. This occurs when disturbances of insulin secretion or insulin resistance The principles of action of insulin - the science of saving lives   cells. In this case, the more carbohydrates comes from food, the more they accumulate in the blood.

Blood glucose is maintained regulatory systems of carbohydrate metabolism at a relatively constant level. The regulation of blood glucose concentration participates as the central nervous system (CNS) and the hormonal system - pancreatic hormones (insulin, glucagon), adrenal gland (epinephrine, glucocorticoid hormones), thyroid (thyroxine) and others.

The activation function of internal secretion of the pancreas actively involved hypothalamus - a brain region responsible for the activities of the entire endocrine system.

The pancreas releases another hormone - glucagon, which is an antagonist of insulin. Once blood sugar decreases, a large amount of glucagon, which stimulates glycogen breakdown and hepatic glucose output in blood. Lack of glucose in the blood stimulates the secretion of adrenal medulla hormone adrenaline, which also contributes to the disintegration of hepatic glycogen. Increase in blood glucose levels and promote the adrenal cortex hormones - glucocorticoids, growth hormone and pituitary and thyroid hormone Thyroid hormones: mechanism of action and physiological effects   thyroxine Thyroxine - the main thyroid hormone .

Has impact on blood glucose levels and the autonomic nervous system, which consists of two divisions - the sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is activated during stress, when you need a quick adequate response (fight or flight), it requires a lot of energy, so the blood sugar at the same time increased. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the work of the body in the normal mode, helps to reduce blood sugar, so during sleep Dreams: how to understand our dreams   and in the morning immediately after waking up is determined by the lowest level of sugar.

Acceptable blood sugar

The normal level in the fasting blood sugar is 3, 5-5, 5 mmol / l. Maximum blood sugar level in a healthy person appears after 1, 5-2 hours after a meal, while sugar may rise to 7, 8 mmol / L. Acceptable blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes should not exceed the threshold level, that is, the amount of sugar in the blood, in which the sugar begins to stand out in the urine.

Reducing or increasing the allowable level of sugar in the blood leads to a significant (and sometimes very serious) violation on the part of the whole organism.