DIABETES

Essay by Robert QuinnHigh School, 10th grade January 1997

download word file, 1 pages 3.5

This disease is caused by defective carbohydrate metabolism. It causes large

amounts of sugar in the blood and urine. It can damage the kidneys, heart, eyes, limbs,

and endanger pregnancy. About five percent of the United States population has it and

about half are undiagnosed. A diabetic that is treated life span is lowered by one-third

There are two types of diabetes. Type I, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

(IDDM). And type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Type I

This type usually occurs in children and young adults, it is known as one of the

autoimmune diseases. It is 10-15 percent of all cases. The pancreas lets out insulin that

lets sugar glucose into all tissues in the body and in this type of diabetes most or all of

this insulin is not made. So all the extra glucose is let out through urine. If untreated this

type could be fatal quickly.

The body cannot get enough energy from tissue glucose so it

starts to break down stored fat. With this people loose a lot of weight and they have

fatigue. Your blood becomes acidic and respiration becomes abnormal. People usually

die from diabetic coma until they figured out how to use insulin therapy. In both forms it

could cause a kidney disease from high blood sugar levels; bad sight from blood vessels

in eyes rupturing, less blood going to the limbs could make them have to cut them off.

They have high blood pressure which increases heart attacks and strokes in diabetes too.

Type II

This type is found in mostly in people over 40 it progresses slowly unlike type I.

The insulin in the pancreas is produced in good levels but does not work right. It does

not let the glucose in to the tissues just...