DIABETES MELLITUS Explained in Simple Terms

Diabetes mellitus is a very common chronic disease that affects hundreds of millions of people globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 830 million people are living with diabetes worldwide. In a 2013 global study by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Nigeria had an estimated 5% diabetes mellitus prevalence.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by high blood sugar. This is due to sugar being stuck in the bloodstream and unable to go where it is needed.

Let’s break this down.

When you eat carbohydrates, the digestive process begins in the mouth, and the food gets broken down further as it travels further in the digestive tract.

When it reaches the intestine, it becomes glucose (or fructose or galactose). This glucose then moves from the intestine into the bloodstream from where it goes into different parts of the body where it is needed.

For diabetics, this is where things get tricky.

You see, when glucose gets to the blood, a very important hormone known as insulin is also secreted into the blood. This insulin helps the muscles, liver, fat, and other tissues take up the amount of glucose they need to generate energy and store what is left.

Unfortunately, in diabetes mellitus, there is either little to no insulin or the body doesn’t respond adequately to the available insulin. This leaves the glucose stranded and useless in the bloodstream.

Now that you understand the general overview, we can move on to more specific details.