Diabetes Mellitus Research Paper

DIABETES MELLITUS

In the United States, about 16 million people suffer from diabetes mellitus, although only half of these individuals are diagnosed. Every year, about 650,000 people learn they have the disease. Diabetes mellitus is the seventh leading cause of all deaths and the sixth leading cause of all deaths caused by disease. Diabetes is the most common in adults over 45 years of age; in people who are overweight or physically inactive; in individuals who have an immediate family member with diabetes; and in minority populations including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The highest rate of diabetes in the world occurs in Native Americans. More women than men have been diagnosed with the disease.
Collip's insulin extracts are first tested on a human being, a 14-year-old boy named Leonard Thompson, in Toronto; the treatment was considered a success by the end of the following February. In 1955, oral drugs are introduced to help lower blood glucose levels, and in 1960, the purity of insulin is improved. Home testing for sugar levels in the urine increases level of control for people with diabetes. The 75th anniversary of the discovery of insulin was celebrated worldwide in 1996. Diabetes is classified into two types. In Type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), formerly called juvenile-onset diabetes, the body does not produce insulin or produces it only in very small quantities. Symptoms usually appear suddenly and in individuals under 20 years of age. Most cases occur before or around puberty. In the United States, about 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes, up to 800,000 persons, suffer from Type I diabetes. About 30,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Type I diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease because the immune system (system of organs, tissues, and cells that rid the body of disease-causing organisms or substances) attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, known as beta cells, that produce insulin. Scientists believe that
Combinations with other insulin-secreting or insulin-sensitizing drugs, such as repaglinide and acarbose, are proving to be particularly effective. Sulfonylureas are oral drugs that stimulate that pancreas to release insulin. A number of brands are available, including chlorpropamide (diabinese), tolazamide (tolinase), glimepiride (amaryl), and glyburide (diabeta, micronase). Other new drugs include glibenclamide and gliclazide. Gliclazide may have specific benefits for the heart. For adequate control of blood glucose levels, the drugs should only be taken 20 to 30 minutes before a meal. Eventually oral drugs usually fail, and patients need insulin injections. In patients being treated with insulin or insulin-producing or sensitizing drugs, it is important to monitor blood glucose levels carefully to avoid hypoglycemia. Patients should aim for premeal glucose levels of between 80 and 120 and bedtime levels of between 100 and 140. Blood glucose levels are generally more stable in type 2 diabetes than in type 1, so experts usually recommend measuring blood levels only once or twice a day. Usually, a drop of blood obtained by pricking the finger is applied to a chemically treated strip. The glucose level is read on a standard meter or a small, portable digital display device. New methods for accurately