An estimated 5.6 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, according to NHS England figures, and rates are rising.
The death of US actress Michelle Trachtenberg at the end of February has highlighted how this increasingly common condition can become life-threatening.
The Gossip Girl star was reported to have been found at her New York apartment on 26 February “unconscious and unresponsive”.
Medical tests have now revealed she died due to complications from diabetes.
We examine the different types of diabetes, the complications that can arise from the condition, and how best to manage it.
Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is a condition which causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
Blood sugar levels are regulated in the body by a hormone, produced by the pancreas, known as insulin.
When food is digested and enters the body’s bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it is broken down to produce energy.
But if the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, the insulin produced isn’t effective, or the body is unable to produce any insulin at all, then glucose cannot be broken down to produce energy.
Instead, it remains in the blood.
There are two main variations of diabetes known as type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is categorised as when a person cannot produce any insulin.
This is a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells which produce insulin.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person does not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced is not effective, so the body’s cells do not react to it properly.
In the UK, more than 90 per cent of all adults with diabetes have type 2, and around 8 per cent have type 1.
There are other types of diabetes, such as gestational diabetes, which can occur during pregnancy and usually end after giving birth.
Insulin is one of the treatments for diabetes (Photo: Getty)How do people develop diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in childhood but can develop at any age. Those with close family members already diagnosed are at slightly higher risk of developing it.
It is an autoimmune condition, which means a person’s immune system causes the problem.
The body destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, known as beta cells, so no insulin can be produced.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is still unknown, although scientists believe it may be triggered in some cases by a virus.
Type 2 diabetes tends to be more common in adulthood, but there has been an increase in childhood diagnoses recently.
It has several causes, including obesity, an unhealthy waist measurement for your sex or ethnicity and too much fat stored around the liver or pancreas.
High blood pressure, a family history of the condition and ethnicity can also play a part in increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Some risk factors, such as ethnicity, cannot be changed, but diet and exercise can impact factors such as obesity and waist measurement.
What are the complications you can get from diabetes?
Having either type of diabetes does increase a person’s risk of developing other long-term health problems.
It can lead to:
Damage to blood vessels can cause coronary heart disease or a stroke. Damage to nerves (called neuropathy) can reduce the blood supply to feet, leading to problems such as ulcers and infections. Damage of blood vessels in the eyes leads to sight problems such as diabetic retinopathy and blindness. People with type 1 diabetes are also more likely to get cataracts and glaucoma. Damage to kidneys, leading to kidney problems. Increased risk of gum disease and infectionHigh blood glucose levels can cause a condition called hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS). This can happen over a matter of weeks and is usually triggered by an infection or dehydration.
Having high blood glucose levels and a lack of insulin can also cause harmful substances called ketones to build up in the blood; this, in turn, can cause a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
Both of these conditions can be life-threatening.
A healthy lifestyle can help to manage diabetes (Photo: Getty)Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves daily doses of insulin either by injection or a pump, which is a small device attacked to your body.
Some people with type 1 may also be prescribed the drug metformin if they have insulin resistance.
Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle and learning to count carbs can also help control blood sugar levels.
There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, although researchers are looking at immunotherapies, and there is no way to prevent it at present.
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Read MoreSome people can manage their type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, being more active or losing weight.
Others will need medication such as Metformin, which lowers blood glucose levels, usually taken as a tablet.
If Metformin is insufficient, they will be prescribed insulin to take via injection or pump.
Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes can sometimes be prevented.
According to the charity Diabetes UK, research has shown for some people, a combination of lifestyle changes can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by about 50 per cent.
Eating healthily, maintaining a healthy body weight and waist size, and getting plenty of exercise can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
There is no cure for type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle changes can sometimes lower your blood glucose to a normal level and stop diabetes; this is known as remission.
(Information from Diabetes UK and NHS)
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