Diabetes research paper – Term Paper

Insulin deficiency effects

From the symptoms, laboratory report and the patient’s age, it is definitive that Lynn Thompson is suffering from diabetes mellitus type I. The patient’s blood glucose had been below the normal, and the body broke down fatty acids into ketone bodies which were converted to glucose. But due to deficiency of insulin in the body, the above process was not regulated, and the patient’s glucose level rose above the normal, and there was a buildup of ketone bodies turning the blood acidic hence the low pH.

Diabetes mellitus type I and type II show distinct differences in their manifestation and occurrence. Type I usually starts in childhood and is due to the destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas by the body’s autoimmune system hence no insulin is produced, or production is insufficient. Type II is in adulthood caused by diet, regular high intake of dietary sugars leads to receptor cells resistance to insulin hence unable to remove glucose from circulation (American Diabetes Association, 23)

What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Type I is commonly manifested by hypoglycemia whereas type II has no hypoglycemic episodes unless one is under medication. Type I is thought to be triggered by the bodies autoimmune system while type two is related to aging and inactive lifestyle as well as diet and obesity.

Regarding diet, type I is affected by early life diet whereby its less common in breastfed children who ate solid food later in life, type II, on the other hand, is influenced by foods high in sugars and low in fiber which often leads to obesity (American Diabetes Association, 27).

Children diagnosed with diabetes faces challenges regarding treatment, due to their rapid growth and organ maturation, the family’s expectation on the child’s abilities as well as adolescents pose a challenge in the management of the disease. There is also constant changes in the level of insulin doses and assessment which affects the doctor’s ability to advice (American Diabetes Association, 87)

Works Cited

American Diabetes Association. “Executive summary: standards of medical care in diabetes 2014.” (2014): S5-S13.