by D. Cannon
Metabolic syndrome is the recent designation of a number of metabolic conditions that appear on the surface to be unrelated but occur in such a way that leads many physicians and scientists to speculate that there may be an underlying undiscovered disorder that is causing the problems. While the manifestations of metabolic syndrome may be quite diverse, most authorities believe that they are all based on some form of metabolic syndrome insulin resistance. Since the disorder has not been rigorously categorized and defined, it is impossible to say how many people suffer from it. However, some health care professionals have estimated that between twenty and twenty five percent of American adults suffer from some form of the disease. The widespread predominance of the condition combined with its relatively obscure nature have led many to refer to the disorder as "syndrome x".
While many healthcare professionals suspect that metabolic syndrome is simply a manifestation of some other as of yet undiscovered underlying illness, until the time comes that the mystery background illness is isolated and treatments are developed, physicians must treat metabolic syndrome symptomatically. The disorder typically consists of obesity of the central region (a "spare tire" or "beer belly"), low levels of HDL cholesterol, high blood triglyceride levels, insulin resistance (the inability of the body to properly utilize insulin to metabolize sugars), high fibrinogen levels, elevated blood pressure (hypertension), and several other similar metabolic disorders. All of these disorders are related in some way to insulin resistance, so many experts believe that syndrome x is related in some way to the body's inability to properly utilize insulin.
Since metabolic syndrome manifests itself as a conglomeration of disorders, there is no single test available to detect whether or not one suffers from the condition. One is generally believed to suffer from the illness if he or she exhibits symptoms of a number of the associated disorders. While guidelines vary, most physicians attempt to diagnose the condition using a combination of central obesity, triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and level of insulin resistance.
The various disorders associated with syndrome x all have their own preferred treatment methods, and treating all of them with medications could be quite dangerous since it would require a high level of pharmaceutical use. However, all of the associated disorders share the fact that they can be treated or controlled (at least in mild to moderate cases) by increasing the amount of exercise received and carefully monitoring the diet. Since a diet and exercise regimen is the only treatment that can treat all of the associated disorders, it is by far the most common recommendation by physicians to patients who seem to be suffering from metabolic syndrome.
About the Author
Dustin Cannon writes on a variety of subjects and recommends http://www.DiseaseInfoRx.com for more information on the subject.
Visit this blog http://symptomsdiabetesdiseases.blogspot.com/
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Friday, March 2, 2007
All About Diabetes Mellitus
by: Michael Webb
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that causes higher than normal blood sugars in its sufferers. It is of two types: (1) Type I diabetes, which normally affects young people. It occurs when the body doesn't make enough insulin to rid the body of excess sugar. The only way to treat that disease is to provide insulin to make up for the lost insulin from the pancreas. (2) Type II diabetes generally affects older people and is a condition where the body makes insulin but the cells of the body don't respond to the insulin in the body.
The disease of diabetes mellitus affects 20.8 million people in the US or 7% of the total population. Nearly 6 million of them do not know they have the disease. Both genetics and environment and heredity play a role in who gets diabetes and who doesn't. Poor dietary habits and obesity play a large role in the development of type II diabetes.
There are many people who don't have diabetes mellitus but who are suffering from prediabetes, also sometimes called insulin resistance. Their body doesn't respond well to the insulin made by the pancreas but the situation isn't bad enough to raise the blood sugar levels yet. The body has higher than normal amounts of insulin in the system but it is enough to compensate for the blood sugar. Eventually, however, many prediabetics go on to develop diabetes in a few years.
There are several tests for diabetes mellitus. The first is a fasting blood sugar. This is normally less than 100 mg per deciliter. In prediabetes, the number is often between 100 and 120 mg per deciliter. In diabetics, the number is often above 120 milligrams per deciliter and is often much higher than that.
The other test for diabetes mellitus is called the "three hour glucose tolerance test" or "3 hr GTT". This involves getting a fasting blood sugar and then giving the individual a small bottle of highly sugared liquid to drink. Then the blood sugar is tested at one hour, two hours and three hours after drinking the sugared liquid. If any number is above 200, then diabetes is diagnosed.
Another test for diabetes mellitus is to check the glycosylated hemoglobin level. This is a measure of the amount of "sugar coated" blood cells in the body. The normal level is 6.0 and numbers above that is felt to be diabetes.
The treatment for diabetes mellitus is different depending on the type of diabetes the person has. Type I diabetes is almost always treated by insulin shots. This is because there is no insulin being put out by the pancreas and so insulin must be replaced. Type II diabetes is often treated with diet and medications. The medications are those that make the cells of the body respond better to the insulin being provided by the pancreas. There are also medications that act to lower the blood sugar directly.
Those with diabetes mellitus must check their blood sugars frequently with a glucometer or blood glucose meter. This may need to be done as often as six or more times per day for type I diabetes and the values reached determine the amount of insulin the person needs per dose. Insulin shots are given before each meal and sometimes at bedtime. Type II diabetics don't often need to check their blood sugars that often. Sometimes it is just checked in the morning and then after the evening meal.
Diabetes Mellitus brings you the latest news on the diabetes mellitus disease. Diabetes mellitus is ever increasing each day. Check out our latest information page at http://diabeteswelfare.com
More Information about diabetes visit this http://symptomsdiabetesdiseases.blogspot.com/
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that causes higher than normal blood sugars in its sufferers. It is of two types: (1) Type I diabetes, which normally affects young people. It occurs when the body doesn't make enough insulin to rid the body of excess sugar. The only way to treat that disease is to provide insulin to make up for the lost insulin from the pancreas. (2) Type II diabetes generally affects older people and is a condition where the body makes insulin but the cells of the body don't respond to the insulin in the body.
The disease of diabetes mellitus affects 20.8 million people in the US or 7% of the total population. Nearly 6 million of them do not know they have the disease. Both genetics and environment and heredity play a role in who gets diabetes and who doesn't. Poor dietary habits and obesity play a large role in the development of type II diabetes.
There are many people who don't have diabetes mellitus but who are suffering from prediabetes, also sometimes called insulin resistance. Their body doesn't respond well to the insulin made by the pancreas but the situation isn't bad enough to raise the blood sugar levels yet. The body has higher than normal amounts of insulin in the system but it is enough to compensate for the blood sugar. Eventually, however, many prediabetics go on to develop diabetes in a few years.
There are several tests for diabetes mellitus. The first is a fasting blood sugar. This is normally less than 100 mg per deciliter. In prediabetes, the number is often between 100 and 120 mg per deciliter. In diabetics, the number is often above 120 milligrams per deciliter and is often much higher than that.
The other test for diabetes mellitus is called the "three hour glucose tolerance test" or "3 hr GTT". This involves getting a fasting blood sugar and then giving the individual a small bottle of highly sugared liquid to drink. Then the blood sugar is tested at one hour, two hours and three hours after drinking the sugared liquid. If any number is above 200, then diabetes is diagnosed.
Another test for diabetes mellitus is to check the glycosylated hemoglobin level. This is a measure of the amount of "sugar coated" blood cells in the body. The normal level is 6.0 and numbers above that is felt to be diabetes.
The treatment for diabetes mellitus is different depending on the type of diabetes the person has. Type I diabetes is almost always treated by insulin shots. This is because there is no insulin being put out by the pancreas and so insulin must be replaced. Type II diabetes is often treated with diet and medications. The medications are those that make the cells of the body respond better to the insulin being provided by the pancreas. There are also medications that act to lower the blood sugar directly.
Those with diabetes mellitus must check their blood sugars frequently with a glucometer or blood glucose meter. This may need to be done as often as six or more times per day for type I diabetes and the values reached determine the amount of insulin the person needs per dose. Insulin shots are given before each meal and sometimes at bedtime. Type II diabetics don't often need to check their blood sugars that often. Sometimes it is just checked in the morning and then after the evening meal.
Diabetes Mellitus brings you the latest news on the diabetes mellitus disease. Diabetes mellitus is ever increasing each day. Check out our latest information page at http://diabeteswelfare.com
More Information about diabetes visit this http://symptomsdiabetesdiseases.blogspot.com/
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