The diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by increased glucose concentration in the peripheral blood of a patient with a value greater than 110 mg / dL (baseline fasting: 70-110 mg / dL), this is a result in an imbalance in the metabolism of macronutrients, mainly carbohydrates (glucose) and secondly lipids, the main etiology or cause of this pathology is a disorder or imbalance in insulin synthesis; Insulin is a hormone made in the only mixed gland found in the human body called the pancreas.
The endocrine pancreas is made up of specialized cells (islets of Lagerhans) for the production of hormones (islets of Lagerhans), which are in charge of regulating blood glucose levels, α cells are involved in the synthesis of glucagon (hyperglycemic hormone, that is, it increases the concentration of glucose in the blood) and the β cells are responsible for the production of insulin (hypoglycemic hormone, that is, it decreases the concentration of glucose in the blood). When you have little time to eat a food, glucose levelsin blood they increase, at this time the synthesis and secretion of insulin is activated whose function is to decrease glucose values, generating glucose receptors so that these are stored in the liver and in adipose tissue; On the contrary, when we are fasting, glucose levels are decreased and glucagon production is activated, which will do the opposite, release stored glucose to be used mainly by the brain and the muscle, in this way both cells work together and are activated alternately according to the concentration of glucose in the blood.Diabetes is classified into three types:
- Type 1 diabetes: autoimmune disease, which is characterized by the destruction of the islets of lagerhans, therefore there is no insulin production, it is known as juvenile diabetes because it develops approximately between 6 to 12 years of age.
- Type 2 diabetes: This type of diabetes is produced by a defect in the response of the tissues towards insulin, that is, the production of insulin is normal but the receptors for this hormone are insufficient, therefore the storage of glucose is not achieved This diabetes is produced mostly in obese patients and occurs in adulthood.
- Gestational Diabetes: it is also characterized by glucose intolerance, but this is detected in pregnancy.
