Diabetes, a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia, has typical "a little more than three" symptoms,which means polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia and weight loss.
The cause of diabetes includes both genetic factors and environmental factors. Both type1 and type2 diabetes have obvious genetic heterogeneity, one quarter to one half of the patients had a family history of diabetes. When it comes to environmental factors, eating more food and exercising little are the main factors of type2 diabetes. If people have an abnormal immune system, they may get type1 diabetes when they are infected with certain viruses, which will cause autoimmune response and destroy islet B cells.
We mentioned type1 and type2 diabetes, people may ask what's the difference between them. Before answer this question, we should have a knowledge about one important hormone––insulin, produced by islet B cells. Insulin is the only hormone that can lower blood sugar in our body. To reduce blood sugar, insulin acts on receptors and induces a series of biochemical reactions. A type1 patient has a deficiency of insulin in his body, while patients with type2 diabetes have a insufficiency of receptors or a lower affinity for Insulin and receptors.
Type1 diabetes, also names Insulin dependent diabetes,occurs mostly inchildren and adolescents, of course it may happen in other age. It usually onsets suddenly and it's very urgent. Patients with type1 diabetes have an obvious "a little more than three" symptom. It's deficiency of insulin determines the only treatment is to use exogenous insulin for a life time. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease at present.
Type2 diabetes often occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, especially who is obese has a higher risk of getting this disease. Unlike type1, these patients may not have obvious "a little more than three" symptoms in the early stage of the disease. Sometimes, it is likely to accompany with hypertension, dyslipidemia ,arteriosclerosis, etc. We can reduce the disease by controling diet, exercising more and using hypoglycemic drugs.
