What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition where there is an abnormally high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. This arises because the body produces little or insufficient insulin.

Insulin and blood glucose in your body

In your digestive system, most of the food you eat is broken down into glucose, a type of sugar. The glucose will be used by your body cells for growth and energy. To enable the glucose to enter into the cells, you need insulin.

Insulin is a hormone which is produced in the pancreas. Every time you eat, your pancreas releases more insulin. However, in people with diabetes, glucose cannot get into their cells because there is not enough insulin, either because the pancreas is damaged (type 1) or resistance to insulin action (type 2).

Type 1 Diabetes

• Previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes).
• The majority of people with Type 1 diabetes are young - children, teenagers and young adults.
• Most people with Type 1 diabetes are young - children, teenagers and young adults (but it can also affect older people).
• In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin at all because the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed.
• Onset of symptoms is sudden, the most common being increased thirst and constant hunger, frequent urination, excessive weight loss and constant tiredness.
• Management is by taking insulin injections, following a healthy diet, exercise and regular monitoring of blood glucose.

Type 2 Diabetes

• Previously referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, and accounts for about 90% of people with diabetes, usually over the age of 40.
• The pancreas produces enough insulin but the insulin cannot help the glucose enter into the cells because the cells are resistant to insulin action.
• Tendency to develop Type 2 diabetes increases if you:
  • have close relatives with the disease
  • are overweight (the cells of fat people make it more difficult for insulin to function properly - called insulin resistance).
  • lack of physical activity
  • diagnosed to have
    • high blood pressure (hypertension)
    • high blood cholesterol (hyperlipidaemia)
    • have frequent miscarriages or history of delivering big babies

-National Diabetes Institute(Malaysia)-