Blood Glucose Levels Flashcards
(18 cards)
What can chronic elevation of blood glucose levels lead to
It leads to the endothelium cells taking in more glucose than normal, damaging the blood vessels
Atherosclerosis may develop leading to cardiovascular disease, stroke or peripheral vascular disease
Small blood vessels damaged by elevated glucose levels may result in haemorrhage(bleeding) of blood vessels in the retina, renal failure or peripheral nerve dysfunction
What happens when the glucose levels are high?
The pancreatic receptors detect change and respond to the high blood glucose levels by increasing the secretions of insulin(hormone,travel in blood)
The insulin activates the conversion of glucose to glycogen in the liver
What happens when the glucose levels are low?
The pancreatic receptors detect change and respond to low blood glucose levels by increasing secretion of glucagon
The glucagon converts glycogen to glucose in the liver, increasing the blood glucose level
What happens to the glucose concentrations in the blood during exercise and fight or flight response?
The glucose concentration in the blood is raised by adrenaline, released by the adrenal glands
This stimulates glucagon secretion and inhibits insulin secretion
What is a diabetic?
A person who is unable to control their glucose levels
What are the two types of diabetes?
Type 1
Type 2
When does type 1 diabetes occur?
What is the cause?
Can the pancreas produce insulin?
Are the cells sensitive to insulin?
How do you treat type 1?
In childhood usuallly/early teens
Genetic
No
Yes they are sensitive, the cells have a normal number of insulin receptors on their surface area and respond to insulin
Regular doses of insulin
When does type 2 diabetes usually occur?
What is the cause?
Can the pancreas produce insulin?
Ate the cells sensitive to insulin?
How can you treat type 2?
Later in life(adulthood)
Being overweight/obese
Yes they can
Their cells are less sensitive to insulin, the resistance is linked to a decrease in the number of insulin receptors in the liver, this leads to a failure in converting glucose to glycogen
Exercise, weight loss and low carb diet
What will happen after a meal in both types of diabetes?
Their individual blood glucose concentrations will rapidly increase
The kidneys will removes some of this glucose, resulting in glucose appearing in urine
How can you test for glucose?
Testing urine which is often an indicator for diabetes
Glucose tolerance test which is used to diagnose diabetes
How is the glucose tolerance test done?
The blood glucose concentration of the individual is initially measured after fasting
The individual then drinks a glucose solution and any changes in their blood glucose concentration are measured for at least the next two hours
The blood glucose concentration of a diabetic usually starts at a higher level than that of a non-diabetic
During the test the diabetics blood glucose concentration increases to a much higher level than a non diabetic and takes longer to return to the starting concentration
What is obesity a major risk factor for?
Cardiovascular disease
Type 2 diabetes
How is obesity characterised?
By excess body fat in relation to lean body tissue such as muscle
What can obesity maybe impair?
Health
What is your body mass index(BMI)?
What BMI indicated obesity?
Who can BMI wrongly classify as obese?
Your weight divided by your height squared
A BMI greater than 30
A person can be classified as obese or overweight, when they have relatively low percentage of body fat but a large bone mass or muscle bulk (rugby players, body builders)
What is obesity linked to?
High fat diets and a decrease in physical activity
How can we reverse obesity?
The energy intake in the diet should limit fats and free sugars, as fats have a high calorific value per gram and free sugars require no metabolic energy to be expended in their digestion
What can exercise do to minimise weight?
Exercise increases energy expenditure and preserves lean tissue
Exercise can help reduce risk factors for CVD by keeping weight under control, minimising stress, reducing hypertension and improving blood lipid profiles
