HEALTH
Being young entails
energy, good looks and of
course great health. Great
health requires a lifestyle
that promotes it including
exercise, well-balanced
diet, and hygiene. Health
experts are always
working tirelessly to
ensure that the public is
informed about health
trends, new vaccines, as
well as alerts on disease
outbreaks. Of late the
medical trend that has
been affecting people in
Zimbabwe is Diabetes.
According to medical
experts, diabetes has
become one of the major
chronic diseases that are
affecting m ortality rates,
along with cardiovascular
diseases, cancer and HIVrelated infections. Worst
still, diabetes especially
type 1 has become more
and more prevalent in
young people.
Type 1
This is also known as insulin
dependent diabetes mellitus. It
accounts for 5% to 10% of cases
and typically occurs in people
younger than age 30. It is
characterised by insulin
deficiency and risk of ketosis.
DIABETES MELLITUS
Cause
Definition
The exact cause is unknown
however type 1 may result from
an autoimmune process possibly
triggered by a virus, with genetic
factors playing a part.
Diabetes is a condition in which
the body cannot control the
level of sugar in the blood
resulting in high blood sugar
levels.
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder of
carbohydrate metabolism
resulting from deficiency of or
resistance to available insulin
and is characterised by
hyperglycaemia.
Diabetes mellitus is the third
leading cause of death from
disease.
There are four types of diabetes
including type I, type II,
gestational diabetes and
diabetes associated with other
conditions, however we will
discuss on type I diabetes.
How diabetes affects the body
In diabetes mellitus, the beta
cells in the pancreas no longer
produce any insulin and
therefore these individuals must
inject insulin every day to
maintain a blood glucose level
within the acceptable range. This
is referred to as ‘absolute’ insulin
deficiency. Insulin is a protein
and therefore must be injected. It
cannot be taken orally because it
is destroyed by the digestive
juices in the stomach before it
can be used.
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