Posts Tagged ‘insulin resistance’

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Noninsulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus is also popularly referred to as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. It is the most common form of this type of condition. In NIDDM, the pancreatic beta cells produce insulin. In fact, when the blood insulin level is measured, it might be found to be low, normal, or high. However, you will find abnormalities of insulin secretion in conjunction with abnormal responses to insulin at the cellular level.

If you have this sort of metabolic condition, you are not dependent upon exogenous insulin for survival, but may need its administration for optimal charge of hyperglycemia. It is unlikely that the patient will develop ketoacidosis except during unusual periods of stress, such as those caused by severe infections, trauma or surgery.

The presence of elevated blood glucose levels despite the normal levels of insulin indicates that the insulin is not working properly. This condition referred to as insulin resistance and is the major problem in Type 2 Diabetes. The following may be reasons why this problem occurs.

First of all, there may be a defect in the beta cell. You may don’t have the first phase of insulin release in response to the elevation in the blood sugar level. This defect leads to a prolonged rise in the glucose levels before this rise can be balanced by the effect of insulin. The prolonged blood sugar elevation serves as a constant stimulus to the secretion of insulin. This may lead to decrease the number of insulin receptors which ends up in insulin resistance.

It can also be due to the defect in the uptake of glucose by peripheral tissues. Insulin binds well to the receptor sites, yet the insulin effect is deficient. Thus, the metabolic defects can be found beyond the receptor in the metabolic pathway. Even in the absence of diabetes, obesity causes insulin resistance. This happens through receptor and post receptor defects. Take a look at more facts at http://diabetes-type-2.com/.