S L Raheja Hospital Mumbai

Diabetes has now acquired epidemic proportions in the world. Known in medical parlance as Diabetes mellitus, this is a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels, caused either due to insufficient production of sugar controlling hormones or unresponsiveness of the cells to the sugar controlling hormones, or both. There are three types of diabetes: • Type 1 Diabetes: In this type of diabetes, the pancreas is unable to synthesize a key blood-sugar controlling hormone. When you consume food, it is roken down into glucose in the small intestine and absorbed into the bloodstream. In normal circumstances, the pancreatic beta cells detect the rise in blood sugar levels and works to reduce the glucose levels. In type 1 diabetes, however, the beta cells do not produce sugar controlling hormones, which results in high blood glucose levels. Moreover, the white blood cells (WBCs) secrete auto antibodies which destroy the beta cells of the pancreas. • Type 2 Diabetes: The pa...