Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus

Audrey Brown-Sissoko

SCI/163

October 10, 2013

Kate Toohig

Diabetes Mellitus

According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet (released January 26, 2011), the total prevalence of diabetes in the United States accounts like this, “8.3% of the population have diabetes that is 25.8 million children and adults. There are 70 million undiagnosed cases, 79 million prediabetes and there were 1.9 million undiagnosed cases of diabetes diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older in 2010” (NDFS, 2011, para 1). Do not like these numbers, from this day forward, lets not become part of the problem, do not become a statistic of this life-threatening disease called diabetes mellitus.

“Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when Tcells attack and decimate the beta cells in the pancreas that are needed to produce insulin, so that the pancreas makes too little insulin, or no insulin” (Medterms, para 1). Without the capacity to make adequate amounts of insulin,” the body is not able to metabolize blood glucose (sugar), to use it efficiently for energy, and toxic acids(called ketoacids) build up in the body”(Melissa Conrad-Stoppler, MD, para 1).

Diabetes is a very serious disease that attacks millions of people around the world. It is a condition where the body does not produce or properly use insulin. According to Bradley Kapture (2008)” insulin is a hormone that is used to convert starches, sugar, and other food into energy that people need to live” (para. 1). Scientists and doctors have not found a cure, but many environmental factors lead to getting diabetes, such as lack of exercise and obesity, genetics also play a role.

The most vital risk factors for diabetes is” hereditary (46%), followed mental tension (24%) and lack of physical exercise (8.1%)” (Paul Kumar, para. 3). There are several risk factors for diabetes, like being obese or overweight, having a parent, brother or sister with diabetes. Certain races have a higher risk of...