Diabetes and the Regulation

of our Blood Sugar

~ Raelene Slaa ~

What is Diabetes?

Most food that we eat turns into sugar, or glucose, which our bodies use for energy in different ways. Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not process the food we eat properly, meaning it cannot be used as energy the way it should. This is because the hormone called insulin is not being made properly. Insulin is made in the pancreas, an organ near the stomach, and it transforms glucose into energy as well as helping bring the glucose into our cells.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes. Most commonly, this form of diabetes is discovered when the patient is fairly young. Factors involved in developing type one diabetes are often autoimmune, genetic, or environmental. In type one diabetes, the body does not produce insulin properly. This means that someone who has it will have to depend on medical insulin. The patient can inject insulin manually with a needle. In order to tell if the patient is low on insulin they must prick their finger and test the blood. Another way insulin can be injected is via a pump that the patient always wears that monitors the insulin levels in their body. This is a much more stable and safe way than the manual needle because it keeps your blood sugar levels much more balanced. If the blood is not regulated, the patient could go into a coma.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. This is different from type one diabetes because the body does have and make insulin properly, it just doesn't make good use of the insulin or secrete it. Factors involved in developing type two diabetes are diet, exercise, genetics and ethnicity. Studies show that African-, Hispanic-, Latino-, Asian-, and Indian- Americans, are more susceptible to getting type two diabetes. Type two diabetes can be preventable, prediabetics can be aware and cautious of their overall health to avoid it. There are also several treatments for type two diabetes like diet control and exercise. In some situations blood glucose testing, medication, and insulin are used.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Excess or frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Weight loss
Hunger
Sudden bouts of tiredness
Dry skin
Takes long for sores to heal
More infections than normal

Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes

older age
obesity
diabetes in family history
prior history of gestational diabetes
glucose intolerance
lack of physical activity
ethnicity/race

Hormones Involved in Blood Sugar Levels

Insulin - raises blood sugar levels

Glucagon - stops blood sugars from going too low

Amylin - prevents overeating, delays gastric emptying

GIP - involved in insulin secretion and release

GLP-1- tells pancreas to make insulin

Epinephrine - raises blood glucose levels from liver

Cortisol - produces glucose when needed

Growth Hormone - increases/decreases blood sugar levels from different areas of the body

Somatostatin - balances insulin/glucagon

Regulating Blood Sugar Levels

Blood Sugar levels are regulated through the endocrine hormones that are in the pancreas. It is a balance of hormones through a negative feedback loop. In the pancreas, the main hormones that affect blood glucose are insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and amylin. Insulin is used to absorb glucose and reduce sugar levels by giving it to the cells for energy. When the blood sugar is low, glucagon is released from the pancreas to tell the liver to release glucose that has been stored. This will raise the levels to normal again. Regulating blood sugar is an autonomic process that happens constantly throughout the body in a day. Normal blood glucose levels are somewhere between 60 and 140 mg/dL, which is needed to supply cells of the body with energy. In order to regulate blood sugar, the body balances hormones in the pancreas, intestines, brain, and adrenals.

an example of the negative blood sugar feedback loop

Sources

https://www.idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes.html

https://www.cdc.gov/media/presskits/aahd/diabetes.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/national-diabetes-statistics-report-2020

https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/amylin.

https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/glucagon.

https://www.atrainceu.com/content/4-regulation-blood-glucose

Created by Sara Spanninga, Kara Hofsink, and Mackwiz Kasweka, May 2017.

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