Diabetes

1. Diabetes

2. Diabetes Mellitus Sugar Diabetes or simply just diabetes It is a group of metabolic diseases in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged time period. There are three types of Diabetes 1. Type I 2. Type II 3. Gestational

3. Diabetes Mellitus- The Facts The total number of adults in Northern Ireland aged 17 and over living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is 79,072. A further 1,092 children and young people under 17 are now known to have Type 1 diabetes.

4. Diabetes Mellitus –The Facts Prevalence in the Northern Ireland population is now over 4%. There are also an estimated 10,000 people who have diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed.  Diabetes is on the increase in Northern Ireland as it is worldwide. The number of people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes has increased by 33% in Northern Ireland during the last five years compared to just 25% in England, 20% in Wales and 18% in Scotland

5. Diabetes Mellitus- The Facts Many more people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is sometimes known as pre-diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above the normal range, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased.

6. Diabetes Mellitus- The Facts It's very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it will get progressively worse if left untreated. You should therefore visit your GP or pharmacist as soon as possible if you have symptoms, such as feeling thirsty, passing urine more often than usual and feeling tired all the time.

7. Diabetes Mellitus- Symptoms The main symptoms of diabetes are: feeling very thirsty urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night feeling very tired weight loss and loss of muscle bulk itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush cuts or wounds that heal slowly blurred vision (caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry)

8. Diabetes-Symptoms

9. Diabetes Mellitus- The Cause The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there's either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn't work properly.

10. Type I Diabetes In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. As no insulin is produced, your glucose levels increase, which can seriously damage the body's organs. Type 1 diabetes is often known as insulin-dependent diabetes. It's also sometimes known as juvenile diabetes or early-onset diabetes because it usually develops before the age of 40, often during the teenage years.

11. Type I Diabetes Type 1 diabetes is less common than type 2 diabetes. In the UK, it affects about 10% of all adults with diabetes. If you're diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you'll need insulin injections for the rest of your life. You'll also need to pay close attention to certain aspects of your lifestyle and health to ensure your blood glucose levels stay balanced. For example, you'll need to eat healthily, take regular exercise and carry out regular blood tests.

12. Type I Diabetes It's important that diabetes is diagnosed as early as possible so that treatment can be started. Diabetes can't be cured, but treatment aims to keep your blood glucose levels as normal as possible, and control your symptoms to prevent health problems developing later

13. Type I Diabetes As your body can't produce insulin, you'll need regular insulin injections to keep your glucose levels normal. You'll be taught how to do this and how to match the insulin you inject to the food you eat, taking into account your blood glucose level and how much exercise you do. Insulin injections comes in several different forms, with each working slightly differently. Some last up to a whole day (long-acting), some last up to eight hours (short-acting) and some work quickly but don't last very long (rapid-acting). You'll most likely need a combination of different insulin preparations.

14. Type I Diabetes Insulin must be injected because if it were taken as a tablet, it would be broken down in your stomach like food and unable to enter your bloodstream

15. Type I Diabetes There are alternatives to insulin injections but they're only suitable for a small number of patients. They are: insulin pump therapy - where a small device that constantly pumps insulin (at a rate you control) into your bloodstream through a needle that's inserted under the skin islet cell transplantation - where healthy insulin-producing cells from the pancreas of a deceased donor are implanted into the pancreas of someone with type 1 diabetes  a complete pancreas transplant.

16. Type I Diabetes If diabetes is left untreated it can cause a number of different health problems. Large amounts of glucose can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs. Even a mildly raised glucose level that doesn't cause any symptoms can have damaging effects in the long term.

17. Type II Diabetes Type 2 diabetes is where the body doesn't produce enough insulin or the body's cells don't react to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1 diabetes. In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

18. Type II Diabetes If you're diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may be able to control your symptoms simply by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and monitoring your blood glucose levels. However, as type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, you may eventually need medication, usually in the form of tablets. Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity. Obesity-related diabetes is sometimes referred to as maturity-onset diabetes because it's more common in older people.

19. Type II Diabetes The rapid rise in the number of adults developing type 2 diabetes is due to: increasing levels of obesity a lack of exercise increase in unhealthy diets an ageing population Even if you feel healthy, you may have a higher than normal blood glucose level (pre-diabetes) and be at risk of getting the condition.

20. Type II Diabetes It's therefore important to take preventative measures by making any necessary lifestyle changes, such as eating morehealthily, losingweight (if you're overweight) and becoming more physicallyactive.

21. Risk Factors At risk groups Although all adults are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a number of groups have a particularly high risk of developing the condition. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is increased if: you're over 40 years of age (over 25 if you're South Asian) you have a close family member with diabetes (a parent, brother or sister) you're overweight or obese, with a waist size of over 80cm (31.5 inches) for women and 94cm (37 inches) for men, or 89cm (35 inches) for South Asian men 

22. Risk Factors you're of South Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean you've ever had a cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke you're a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and also overweight you're a woman and you've had gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby of over 10 pounds  you have a severe mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and you're taking medication for it you've been told you have impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glycaemia

23. Diet Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet and reducing your fat intake, particularly saturated fat, can help prevent type 2 diabetes, as well as manage the condition if you already have it. You should: increase your consumption of high fibre foods, such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and lentils, and fruit and vegetables choose foods that are low in fat – replace butter, ghee and coconut oil with low fat spreads and vegetable oil choose skimmed and semi-skimmed milk, and low fat yoghurts

24. Diet eat fish and lean meat rather than fatty or processed meat, such as sausages and burgers grill, bake, poach or steam food instead of frying or roasting it avoid high fat foods, such as mayonnaise, chips, crisps, pasties, poppadums and samosas eat fruit, unsalted nuts and low fat yoghurts as snacks instead of cakes, biscuits, or crisps

25. Weight If you're overweight or obese (you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or over), you should lose weight, by gradually by reducing your calorie intake and becoming more physically active. Losing 5-10% of your overall body weight over the course of a year is a realistic initial target. You should aim to continue to lose weight until you've achieved and maintained a BMI within the healthy range, which is: 18.5-24.9kg/m² for the general population

26. Physical Activity Being physically active is very important in preventing or managing type 2 diabetes. For adults who are 19-64 years of age, the government recommends a minimum of: 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of"moderate-intensity" aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, a week, which can be taken in sessions of 10 minutes or more, and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, tummy (abdomen), chest, shoulders and arms).

27. Physical Activity An alternative recommendation is to do a minimum of: 75 minutes of "vigorous-intensity" aerobic activity, such as running or a game of tennis every week, and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). In cases where the above activity levels are unrealistic, even small increases in physical activity will be beneficial to your health and act as a basis for future improvements.

28. Type II Diabetes Medication You may eventually need to take medication to help control your blood glucose levels. Initially, this will usually be in the form of tablets, and can sometimes be a combination of more than one type of tablet. It may also include insulin or other medication that you inject.

29. Medication Metformin Metformin is usually the first medicine that's used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by reducing the amount of glucose that your liver releases into your bloodstream. It also makes your body's cells more responsive to insulin. Metformin is recommended for adults with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, whose blood glucose is still progressing towards type 2 diabetes, despite making necessary lifestyle changes.

30. Medication If you're overweight, it's also likely you'll be prescribed metformin. Unlike some other medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes, metformin shouldn't cause additional weight gain. However, it can sometimes cause mild side effects, such as nausea and diarrhoea, and you may not be able to take it if you have kidney damage.

31. Medication Sulphonylureas Sulphonylureas increase the amount of insulin that's produced by your pancreas. Examples of sulphonylureas include: glibenclamide gliclazide glimepiride glipizide gliquidone

32. Medication You may be prescribed one of these medicines if you can't take metformin, or if you aren't overweight. Alternatively, you may be prescribed sulphonylurea and metformin if metformin doesn't control blood glucose on its own. Sulphonylureas can increase the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), because they increase the amount of insulin in your body. They can also sometimes cause side effects including weight gain, nausea and diarrhoea.

33. Medication Glitazones (thiazolidinediones, TZDs) Thiazolidinedione medicines (pioglitazone) make your body’s cells more sensitive to insulin so that more glucose is taken from your blood. They're usually used in combination with metformin or sulphonylureas, or both. They may cause weight gain andankle swelling (oedema). You shouldn't take pioglitazone if you have heart failure or a high risk of bone fracture

34. Medication Gliptins (DPP-4 inhibitors) Gliptins work by preventing the breakdown of a naturally occurring hormone called GLP-1. GLP-1 helps the body produce insulin in response to high blood glucose levels, but is rapidly broken down. By preventing this breakdown, the gliptins (linagliptin, saxagliptin, sitagliptin and vildagliptin) prevent high blood glucose levels, but don't result in episodes of hypoglycaemia. You may be prescribed a gliptin if you're unable to take sulphonylureas or glitazones, or in combination with them. They're not associated with weight gain.

35. Medication GLP-1 agonists Exenatide is a GLP-1 agonist, an injectable treatment that acts in a similar way to the natural hormone GLP-1 (see the section on gliptins, above). It's injected twice a day and boosts insulin production when there are high blood glucose levels, reducing blood glucose without the risk of hypoglycaemia episodes ("hypos"). It also leads to modest weight loss in many people who take it. It's mainly used in people on metformin plus sulphonylurea, who are obese

36. Medication Acarbose Acarbose helps prevent your blood glucose level from increasing too much after you eat a meal. It slows down the rate at which your digestive system breaks carbohydrates down into glucose. Acarbose isn't often used to treat type 2 diabetes because it usually causes side effects, such as bloating and diarrhoea. However, it may be prescribed if you can't take other types of medicine for type 2 diabetes

37. Medication Nateglinide and repaglinide Nateglinide and repaglinide stimulate the release of insulin by your pancreas. They're not commonly used, but may be an option if you have meals at irregular times. This is because their effects don't last very long, but they're effective when taken just before you eat. Nateglinide and repaglinide can cause side effects, such as weight gain and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)

38. Medication If glucose-lowering tablets aren't effective in controlling your blood glucose levels, you may need to have insulin treatment. This can be taken instead of or alongside your tablets, depending on the dose and the way that you take it. Insulin comes in several different preparations, and each works slightly differently. For example, some last up to a whole day (long-acting), some last up to eight hours (short-acting) and some work quickly but don't last very long (rapid-acting). Your treatment may include a combination of these different insulin preparations

39. Other Medications If you have type 2 diabetes, your risk of developing heart disease, stroke and kidney disease is increased. To reduce your risk of developing other serious health conditions, you may be advised to take other medicines, including: anti-hypertensive medicines to control high blood pressure a statin, such as simvastatin or atorvastatin, to reduce high cholesterol low-dose aspirin to prevent a stroke an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, such as enalapril, lisinopril or ramipril, if you have the early signs of diabetic kidney disease Diabetic kidney disease is identified by the presence of small amounts of albumin (a protein) in your urine. If treated early enough, it may be reversible.

40. How to Control “Hypos” Hypoglycaemia is where your blood glucose levels become very low. Mild hypoglycaemia (a "hypo") can make you feel shaky, weak and hungry, but it can usually be controlled by eating or drinking something sugary. If you have a hypo, you should initially have a form of carbohydrate that will act quickly, such as a sugary drink or glucose tablets. This should be followed by a longer-acting carbohydrate, such as a cereal bar, sandwich or piece of fruit. In most cases, these measures will be enough to raise your blood glucose level to normal, although it may take a few hours.

41. How to Control “Hypos” If you develop severe hypoglycaemia, you may become drowsy and confused, and you may even lose consciousness. If this occurs, you may need to have an injection of glucagon into your muscle or glucose into a vein. Glucagon is a hormone that quickly increases your blood glucose levels.

42. Gestational Diabetes Gestational diabetes (in pregnancy) During pregnancy, some women have such high levels of blood glucose that their body is unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes and affects up to 18 in 100 women during pregnancy. Pregnancy can also make existing type 1 diabetes worse. Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of health problems developing in an unborn baby, so it's important to keep your blood glucose levels under control.

43. Gestational Diabetes In most cases, gestational diabetes develops during the second trimester of pregnancy (weeks 14 to 26) and disappears after the baby is born. However, women who have gestational diabetes are at an increased risk (30%) of developing type 2 diabetes later in life (compared with a 10% risk for the general population)

44. Care Having the right care is essential for the wellbeing of all people with diabetes. Some essentials:- Get your blood glucose levels measured at least once a year. An HbA1c blood test will measure your overall blood glucose control and help you and your diabetes Have your blood pressure measured and recorded at least once a year Have your blood fats (such as cholesterol) measured every year Have your eyes screened for signs of retinopathy every year. A special digital camera is used to take a photograph of your retina (at the back of your eye)

45. Care Have your feet checked. The skin, circulation and nerve supply of your feet should be examined annually. You should be told if you have any risk of foot problems Have your kidney function monitored annually. You should have two tests for your kidneys: urine test for protein (a sign of possible kidney problems) and a blood test to measure kidney function. Have your weight checked and your waist measured to see if you need to lose weight. Get support if you are a smoker including advice and support on how to quit. Having diabetes already puts people at increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and smoking further increases this risk.

46. Treatment Locally Treatment in the Western Health and Social Care Trust Generally people with Type 2 diabetes will be looked after by their GP practice team or be referred to a hospital diabetes clinic, especially if their needs are complex, depending on local facilities.  People with Type 1 diabetes will usually always be referred to the local hospital diabetes specialist team.   Psychology Services Each Trust in Northern Ireland has a clinical psychologist with a specialist interest in diabetes.  If someone is experiencing significant psychological distress which is affecting their ability to look after their diabetes a referral can be arranged via the local hospital diabetes team or via the community Diabetes Specialist Nurse. GPs also have access to local mental health services and sometimes to practise based counsellors who can help people to talk through and make sense of their feelings. 

47. Treatment Locally Annual eye screening Everyone with diabetes over the age of 12 should have their eyes screened, for diabetic retinopathy, on an annual basis.  In Northern Ireland the screening is organised centrally by the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme.  The Programme will obtain your details from your GP and send you a letter asking you to come for screening in your local area.  It is very important that you attend.

48. Treatment Locally Structured diabetes education Type 1 diabetes CHOICE Programme is delivered in Altnagelvin, Tyrone and Fermanagh  Type 2 diabetes (both newly diagnosed and established) DESMOND is delivered in Altnagelvin, Limavady, Tyrone and Fermanagh