Diabetes Mellitus A Chronic Disease - 1334 Words

Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease meaning it persists for a long time and generally can t be prevented by vaccines or cured by medicines. Diabetes occurs when the body doesn t produce enough insulin or when the insulin doesn t work properly. Type 2 Diabetes allows insulin to be released into the blood but it is unable to work properly and makes the body unable to maintain healthy glucose levels in the blood. It can affect the entire body and anyone can develop the disease. It represents 85-90 percent of of all cases of diabetes and is also the leading cause of many body dysfunctions. In the years 2011-2012, approximately 19% of people between the ages 65 and 84 were diagnosed with Diabetes (see Figure 2). This†¦show more content†¦Glucose levels rise after eating, which is when receptors in the pancreas detect the increase. The pancreas releases a hormone called insulin . The liver and muscles use the insulin to extract glucose from the blood to form a larger molecule called glycogen , which is then stored in the liver. The maintained release of the two hormones glucagon and insulin keep the glucose levels in the blood fairly constant. People with Type 2 Diabetes are unable to keep glucose levels constant because the hormone insulin is ineffective. Although the cause of Diabetes Type 2 is unclear there are many factors of lifestyle and genetics that contribute to the cause. Insufficient physical activity can lead to obesity and being overweight or obese is a main factor. People who are obese or overweight are at a much higher risk of developing Diabetes Type 2. Having visceral fat, belly fat or abdominal obesity can put you at a higher risk because being overweight can cause the body to release chemicals that can destabilise the body s cardiovascular and metabolic systems. Being obese makes it harder for the body s glucose to be released into the blood because the fat increase blocks the blood vessels. As people get older they become more and more less active, therefore they have a high chance of becoming overweight which