What is Diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes Mellitus is a complex, polygenic disease of glucose homeostasis. As defined by the American Diabetes Association, diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels.
Why is Insulin Important?
Insulin, a protein hormone of the fed state, regulates blood glucose levels and is secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas. It stimulates cells to take in glucose, muscle and liver to make glucose into glycogen, and store amino acids and fat.
Why is High Glucose Bad?
There are many reasons why high glucose levels are not favored by the body, and they all involve inappropriate glycation of proteins. In hyperglycemia, glucose can react non-enzymatically with the ammonia group on the amino terminus of hemoglobin, which accounts for more than 12% of the total hemoglobin in a diabetic patient. Also, diabetic cataracts are caused by increased glycation of lens proteins, making the lens of the eye cloudy. Lastly, glycated protein and lipoprotein can be recognized by macrophages which can lead to accelerated atherosclerosis.
Diabetes Mellitus is a complex, polygenic disease of glucose homeostasis. As defined by the American Diabetes Association, diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels.
Why is Insulin Important?
Insulin, a protein hormone of the fed state, regulates blood glucose levels and is secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas. It stimulates cells to take in glucose, muscle and liver to make glucose into glycogen, and store amino acids and fat.
Why is High Glucose Bad?
There are many reasons why high glucose levels are not favored by the body, and they all involve inappropriate glycation of proteins. In hyperglycemia, glucose can react non-enzymatically with the ammonia group on the amino terminus of hemoglobin, which accounts for more than 12% of the total hemoglobin in a diabetic patient. Also, diabetic cataracts are caused by increased glycation of lens proteins, making the lens of the eye cloudy. Lastly, glycated protein and lipoprotein can be recognized by macrophages which can lead to accelerated atherosclerosis.