Diabetes Mellitus Information
What is diabetes? How do I know if I'm at risk?
How would I know if I have it?
What problems are caused by diabetes?
What can I do if I am at risk? What if I have it?
Heart and circulatory disease is the UK's biggest killer and many of the major risk factors have no symptoms. Diabetes can be one of these 'silent' risk factors. Of you have undergone a BlueSkies Health MOT and now wish to reduce your risk of developing diabetes or managed your condition, this information will help you do so.
NB The information on this page should not supersede that given by your GP or medical professional.
What is diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes Mellitus is a condition characterised by a high blood glucose level because the glucose is not taken up and used by the cells of the body as it would be in a person without diabetes.
Terms you need to know:
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Glucose – the form of sugar absorbed into and transported around the blood stream in the human body.
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Glycogen – the storage form of glucose in the human body, found in the liver and muscle tissues it consists of long chains of glucose molecules.
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Insulin – a hormone produced in the pancreas that reduces blood glucose levels by stimulating the uptake of glucose into muscle and liver cells to form glycogen.
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Glucagon – another hormone produced in the pancreas that increases blood glucose levels by stimulating the breakdown of liver glycogen into glucose molecules that are released back into the blood.
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Pancreas – a digestive organ that sits just below the stomach in the abdomen and plays a role in digestion as well as it’s endocrine gland function
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Endocrine gland – an organ or gland that secretes hormones in the body
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Hyperglycemia – high blood glucose (blood sugar) levels
There are two main types of diabetes mellitus:
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Type I or Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)
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Type II or Non Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)
Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. This typically occurs in people younger than 40 although this is not always the case. Type I diabetes accounts for just 5-15% of people with diabetes so is less common than type II.
Type II diabetes occurs when the body is unable to use insulin properly either because too little is produced or because the cells of the muscles and liver have become ‘insulin resistant’. This type of diabetes is strongly associated with diet and lifestyle as the main reason for becoming insulin resistant is being overweight.
There are currently over 2.3 million diagnosed diabetics in the UK and a postulated 750,000 more people with diabetes who are unaware of their condition. The number of people with diabetes is increasing and it is estimated that by 2010 there will be over 3million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK.
For the latest research findings on diabetes, click here.
How do I know if I’m at risk of diabetes?
The factors that increase your risk of diabetes include:
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Your ethnicity – South Asian and Afro-Caribbean people are at an increased risk
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Inactivity – a low level of physical activity increases risk
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Being overweight or obese
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A family history of type II diabetes
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A previous history of gestational diabetes in women
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Being over 40 years of age
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Having hypertension (high blood pressure)
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Having dyslipidaemia (high blood cholesterol)
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Having polycystic ovary syndrome in women
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A history of impaired glucose tolerance
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A history of vascular disease
It is important to remember that although you may have a number of risk factors, this does not mean you will necessarily develop diabetes. Conversely, just because you do not have any of the risk factors you are not immune to developing diabetes.
Type II diabetes is often associated with what is known as ‘metabolic syndrome’ a state characterised by:
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Abdominal obesity
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High triglycerides
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Low HDL (good) cholesterol levels
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High LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
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High blood pressure
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High levels of other blood proteins responsible for clotting
How would I know if I have diabetes?
Signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia are more noticeable in those who develop type I diabetes as they come on quickly. For those who develop type 2 diabetes, it is often harder to identify signs and symptoms as they may develop slowly over a period of time.
Regular (annual) blood glucose screening can help to identify the early signs of developing type II diabetes, before symptoms occur. Screening gives you a chance to change your lifestyle and discuss medication with your doctor, potentially preventing full blown diabetes developing or at least giving you a head start on treatment to limit the damage to your body.
The easiest way to identify hyperglycemia is by performing a simple blood glucose test, this is included in all BlueSkies Health MOTs and will identify any abnormalities. This means that, if necessary, a second test can be performed by your doctor to confirm whether or not you have diabetes.
The signs and symptoms of diabetes are varied and not everyone who develops diabetes will experience the same signs and symptoms. However, the common signs and symptoms are listed below:
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An unusually strong, regular, persistent thirst sensation
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An unusually frequent need to urinate
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Blurred vision
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Unexplained weight loss
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Unusual or constant feelings of tiredness
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Recurrent infections
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Itching in the genital area or regular episodes of thrush
These signs and symptoms are a direct result of hyperglycemia which, as mentioned above, is far more common in those with type II diabetes. If left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to ketoacidosis or non-ketotic hyperosmolar states that may result in coma or even death. Although this process is much slower to progress in type II diabetics, the disease can progress to the same end point so insulin management is just as important.
What are the problems caused by diabetes?
Alongside the immediate or short term dangers of diabetes, there are long term complications of the disease which are caused by the chronic (long-term) high levels of glucose in the blood. These are listed below:
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Blood vessel damage throughout the body which can cause coronary heart disease in the heart, stroke in the brain and peripheral vascular disease in the limbs. The effect of this damage is often noticed first in the feet and is known as diabetic foot disease characterised by ulcers.
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Damage to the eyes – diabetic retinopathy which causes sight loss and can lead to blindness.
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Increased stress on the kidneys which gradually work less well the longer the hyperglycemia persists, this can lead to renal failure.
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Diabetic neuropathy is damage to the peripheral nerves of the body and can cause symptoms including loss of sensation, pins and needles and sexual impotence.
In order to prevent or slow the development of these long-term symptoms of diabetes it is important to manage blood sugar levels through lifestyle changes and where necessary drug therapy.
What can I do if I’m at risk of diabetes mellitus?
If you have one or more of the risk factors for diabetes and are concerned that you may have the disease you should go and see your doctor. They will be able to perform a fasting glucose test or a glucose tolerance test and will give a clear diagnosis of whether or not you are diabetic. If you are diagnosed as diabetic, the treatment will depend on which type of diabetes you have.
If you are not diabetic but have risk factors, you may want to make some lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of developing diabetes in the future. The modifiable risk factors that you should consider altering include:
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Your activity level – try to get your 30 minutes of exercise/activity at least 5 times a week. N.B. if you have diabetes it is essential that you speak to your doctor before increasing your activity level and that you follow any specific guidelines you are given
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Your weight – if you are overweight or obese, try to regain a healthy BMI – for more information, click here
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Your blood pressure – if you have hypertension, try to reduce your blood pressure – for more information,click here
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Your cholesterol level – if it is high, try to reduce it – for more information, click here
What can I do if I’m already diabetic?
Type I diabetics will be put on insulin therapy immediately and it is likely you will be referred to a specialist to advise you on the best way to manage your condition. Just because you use insulin doesn’t mean that the other lifestyle changes outlined above won’t help manage your condition too.
Type II diabetics will normally be encouraged to make lifestyle changes as outlined above to manage their condition before being put on any medication.
The two main things your doctor will advise you to do are to lose weight by following a healthier diet and to become more physically active. Unfortunately, the advice often stops here and you will be left to figure out what this means on your own or given some leaflets by a nurse.
We at BlueSkies specialise in helping people improve their eating habits to control blood sugar levels and begin a safe, effective activity and/or exercise programme for diabetes management. Please e-mail us for more details on our range of personal training services, dietary analysis & nutrition services and other services including online & telephone lifestyle coaching.
Further information
To go the other pages in this series, please click on the appropriate topic below:
For more information on how to make lifestyle modifications that will help you to improve your diabetes risk or manage your condition, click here. You will be taken to the Member's Area of the BlueSkies website and will need your Member's Password to gain access.
If you are a BlueSkies Member, your password will have been e-mailed to you when you joined. If you have forgotten your password, please click here to receive your password reminder by e-mail.
If you have recently taken part in a BlueSkies Health MOT, you will have been given a temporary password to allow you to access this information. If you have forgotten your password, please contact the person within your organisation who organised the BlueSkies Health MOT. Alternatively, please e-mail us by clicking here and telling us where and when you had your Health MOT.
If you would like to become a BlueSkies Member, please click here for more information.
NB The information on this page should not supersede that given by your GP or medical professional.