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Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by increased levels of glucose in the blood
(hyperglycemia) resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.
Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus
Family history of diabetes (ie, parents or siblings with diabetes)
Obesity (ie, ≥20% over desired body weight or BMI ≥27 kg/m2)
Race/ethnicity (eg, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders)
Age ≥45 y
Previously identified impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance
Hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg)
HDL cholesterol level ≤35 mg/dL (0.90 mmol/L) and/or triglyceride level ≥250 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L)
History of gestational diabetes or delivery of babies over 9 lb
CLASSIFICATION
Type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and diabetes mellitus associated with other
conditions or syndromes.
Pathophysiology
Insulin is an anabolic, or storage, hormone.
When a person eats a meal, insulin secretion increases and moves glucose from the blood into muscle, liver, and
fat cells.
In those cells, insulin:
Transports and metabolizes glucose for energy
Stimulates storage of glucose in the liver and muscle (in the form of glycogen)
Signals the liver to stop the release of glucose
Enhances storage of dietary fat in adipose tissue
Accelerates transport of amino acids (derived from dietary protein) into cells
DURING FASTING PERIODS (BETWEEN
MEALS AND OVERNIGHT) ????????????
❖Pancreas continuously releases a small amount of insulin (basal insulin).
❖After 8 to 12 hours without food, the liver forms glucose from the breakdown
of noncarbohydrate substances, including amino acids (gluconeogenesis).
TYPE 1
DIABETES
Type 1 diabetes affects approximately 5% to 10% of people with the disease.
It is characterized by an acute onset, usually before 30 years of age.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by destruction of the pancreatic beta cells.
Combined genetic, immunologic, and possibly environmental (eg, viral) factors are thought to
contribute to B- cell destruction.
Genetic tendency has been found in people with certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
types.
There is also evidence of an autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes.
Regardless of the specific cause, the destruction of the beta cells results
in decreased insulin production, unchecked glucose production by the
liver, and fasting hyperglycemia.
Goals for blood glucose levels during pregnancy are 105 mg/dL or less
before meals and 130 mg/dL or less 2 hours after meals
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
Classic clinical manifestations of all types of diabetes include the “three Ps”:
polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia.
Polyuria (increased urination) and polydipsia (increased thirst) occur as a result of the
excess loss of fluid associated with osmotic diuresis.
Patients also experience polyphagia (increased appetite) that results from the catabolic
state induced by insulin deficiency and the breakdown of proteins and fats.
Other symptoms include fatigue and weakness, sudden vision changes, tingling or
numbness in hands or feet, dry skin, skin lesions or wounds that are slow to heal,
and recurrent infections.
The onset of type 1 diabetes may also be associated with sudden weight loss or
nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pains, if DKA has developed.
ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSTIC FINDINGS
OR
Two-hour postload glucose equal to or greater than 200 mg/dL
(11.1 mmol/L) during an oral glucose tolerance test.
ASSESSING THE PATIENT WITH
DIABETES
History
Physical Examination
Blood pressure (sitting and standing to detect orthostatic changes)
Body mass index (height and weight)
Fundoscopic examination and visual acuity
Foot examination (lesions, signs of infection, pulses)
Skin examination (lesions and insulin-injection sites)
Neurologic examination
Vibratory and sensory examination using monofilament
Deep tendon reflexes
Oral examination
LABORATORY EXAMINATION
HgbA1C (A1C) A normal A1C level is below 5.7 percent; 6.5 percent or above
indicates diabetes; 5.7 to 6.4 percent is prediabetes.
Fasting lipid profile
Test for microalbuminuria
Serum creatinine level
Urinalysis
Electrocardiogram
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
The main goal of diabetes treatment is to normalize insulin activity and blood
glucose levels to reduce the development of vascular and neuropathic
complications.
Intensive treatment is defined as three or four insulin injections per day or
continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, insulin pump therapy plus
frequent blood glucose monitoring and weekly contacts with diabetes
educators.
Diabetes management has five components: nutritional therapy, exercise,
monitoring, pharmacologic therapy, and education.
NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
Nutrition, meal planning, and weight control are the foundation of diabetes
management.
The most important objectives in the dietary and nutritional management of diabetes
are control of total caloric intake to attain or maintain a reasonable body weight,
control of blood glucose levels, and normalization of lipids and blood pressure to
prevent heart disease.
A weight loss as small as 5% to 10% of total weight may significantly improve blood
glucose levels (in case of obesity).
CALORIC REQUIREMENTS
Calorie-controlled diets are planned by first calculating a person's energy needs and caloric
requirements based on age, gender, height, and weight.
To promote a 1- to 2-pound weight loss per week, 500 to 1000 calories are subtracted from the
daily total.
The calories are distributed into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and a meal plan is then
developed, taking into account the patient's lifestyle and food preferences.
Some patients may be underweight at the onset of type 1 diabetes because of rapid weight loss
from severe hyperglycemia.
The goal initially may be to provide a higher-calorie diet to regain lost weight and blood glucose
control.
CALORIC DISTRIBUTION
The caloric distribution currently recommended is higher in
carbohydrates than in fat and protein.
Currently, the American Dietetic Association recommend that for all
levels of caloric intake, 50% to 60% of calories should be derived
from carbohydrates, 20% to 30% from fat, and the remaining 10% to
20% from protein.
Fiber. Increased fiber in the diet may improve blood glucose levels,
decrease the need for exogenous insulin, and lower total cholesterol
and low-density lipoprotein levels in the blood
OTHER DIETARY CONCERNS
Alcohol Consumption
Sweeteners
There are two main types of sweeteners: nutritive and nonnutritive.
The nutritive sweeteners contain calories, and the nonnutritive sweeteners have few or no
calories in the amounts normally used.
Nutritive sweeteners include fructose (fruit sugar), sorbitol, and xylitol, all of which provide
calories in amounts similar to those in sucrose (table sugar).
They cause less elevation in blood sugar levels than sucrose does and are often used in “sugar-
free” foods.
Sweeteners containing sorbitol may have a laxative effect.
Nonnutritive sweeteners include saccharin, aspartame
EXERCISE
Exercise lowers blood glucose levels by increasing the uptake of glucose by body
muscles and by improving insulin utilization.
Exercise Recommendations
Ideally, a person with diabetes should exercise at the same time (preferably when
blood glucose levels are at their peak) and in the same amount each day.
Regular daily exercise, rather than sporadic exercise, should be encouraged.
Exercise recommendations must be altered as necessary for patients with diabetic
complications such as retinopathy, autonomic neuropathy, sensorimotor neuropathy,
and cardiovascular disease.
EXERCISE PRECAUTIONS
Patients who have blood glucose levels exceeding 250 mg/dL and who have ketones
in their urine should not begin exercising until the urine test results are negative for
ketones and the blood glucose level is closer to normal.
Exercising with elevated blood glucose levels increases the secretion of glucagon,
growth hormone, and catecholamines.
The liver then releases more glucose, and the result is an increase in the blood glucose
level.
The physiologic decrease in circulating insulin that normally occurs with exercise
cannot occur in patients treated with insulin.
Initially, patients who require insulin should be taught to eat a 15-g carbohydrate
snack (a fruit exchange) or a snack of complex carbohydrates with a protein
before engaging in moderate exercise to prevent unexpected hypoglycemia. The
exact amount of food needed varies from person to person and should be
determined by blood glucose monitoring.
Another potential concern for patients who take insulin is hypoglycemia that occurs
many hours after exercise.
To avoid postexercise hypoglycemia, especially after strenuous or prolonged
exercise, the patient may need to eat a snack at the end of the exercise session
and at bedtime and monitor the blood glucose level more frequently.
Patients taking insulin and participating in extended periods of exercise should test
their blood glucose levels before, during, and after the exercise period, and they
should snack on carbohydrates as needed to maintain blood glucose levels
Monitoring Glucose Levels and Ketones
Blood glucose monitoring is a cornerstone of diabetes management, and self-
monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) levels has dramatically altered diabetes care.
Plasma glucose values are 10% to 15% higher than whole blood glucose values
However, it is important that patients eat some food around the time of
the onset and peak of these insulins.
“Peakless” basal or very long-acting insulins are approved by the
FDA for use as a basal insulin—that is, the insulin is absorbed very
slowly over 24 hours and can be given once a day.
❑Blood glucose levels may vary between 300 and 800 mg/dL
❑ ??? 1000 mg/dL or higher (usually depending on the degree of dehydration).
❑Low serum bicarbonate (0 to 15 mEq/L) and low pH (6.8 to 7.3) values.
❑A low partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO 2; 10 to 30 mm Hg) reflects respiratory compensation
(Kussmaul respirations) for the metabolic acidosis.
❑Accumulation of ketone bodies (which precipitates the acidosis) is reflected in blood and urine ketone
measurements.
❑Sodium and potassium concentrations may be low, normal, or high, depending on the amount of water
loss (dehydration).
❑Increased levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and hematocrit may also be seen with
dehydration.
MANAGEMENT
Rehydration
6 to 10 L of IV fluid to replace fluid losses caused by polyuria, hyperventilation, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Initially, 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) solution is administered at a rapid rate, usually 0.5 to 1 L/h
for 2 to 3 hours.
Half-strength normal saline (0.45%) solution (also known as hypotonic saline solution) may be used for
patients with hypertension or hypernatremia and those at risk for heart failure.
After the first few hours, half-strength normal saline solution is the fluid of choice for continued rehydration
(200 to 500 mL/h) may be needed for several more hours.
When the blood glucose level reaches 300 mg/dL (16.6 mmol/L) or less, the IV solution may be changed to
dextrose 5% in water (D5W) to prevent a precipitous decline in the blood glucose level
RESTORING ELECTROLYTES