Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control levels of glucose in the blood. In cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the body either cannot produce enough insulin or has trouble utilizing it. This allows the amount of glucose in the...
Insulin is a hormone critical for regulating blood glucose levels. If you have problems making or utilizing insulin, your blood glucose levels will be chronically high, which leads to diabetes. Unusually high or low blood glucose levels can be...
As the incidence of diabetes rises in developed countries, more people are growing concerned about their blood glucose levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that 1 in every 3 Americans could have diabetes by 2050. If you...
Insulin pumps are used by diabetic patients to help manage blood glucose levels. According to "MedSurg Nursing," the insulin pump, which has been available since the 1980s, is a device that imitates the function of a healthy pancreas by delivering...
Insulin is normally produced by the body. It is released by the pancreas in response to a meal to signal cells to take up the sugar glucose for energy or storage. In diabetes mellitus, either the body stops producing insulin, or the cells stop...
People who do not have diabetes have a functioning biofeedback loop in their bodies that keeps a small amount of insulin in their bloodstream at all times to keep blood glucose levels steady. When they eat carbohydrate-laden meals, their bodies...
Chromium is the metal that works with insulin to regulate blood glucose. The normal fasting blood glucose level is 70 to 100 mg per dl. Normal metabolism and good health are more easily maintained when plasma glucose is at normal levels. Insulin...
When you consume any food containing carbohydrates, your digestive system breaks them down into simple sugars, passing glucose into the bloodstream. Glucose is the primary fuel for the body, and cells need this sugar to power their basic functions...
Diabetes is a disorder in which sugar levels in the blood become abnormally high due to a hormone called insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Insulin works to cause fat, muscle and liver tissue to pull sugar out of the blood. Patients with Type...
Insulin is a endocrine hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps transport glucose, or blood sugar, from the bloodstream to the cells, which then use glucose as energy or store it as glycogen or fat. Diabetics and people with insulin resistance...
Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when your pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to transport glucose into your cells for energy. Some people with Type 2 diabetes may also need to take additional insulin; although...
Intensive insulin therapy, using either an insulin pump or multiple daily injections, is the preferred treatment for people with type 1 diabetes. With the use of these regimens, an individualized carbohydrate-to-insulin ratio is required to allow...
Diabetes is a disorder of insulin--a pancreatic hormone that reduces the amount of glucose in the blood--in which the amount of glucose in the blood is higher than normal. It is treated with lifestyle changes and medication. The goal of treatment...
Metformin and insulin are drugs used to lower high glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic condition that is characterized by high glucose levels due to lack of insulin or the inability of the body to utilize available...
Hyperkalemia is a condition in which the body's level of potassium increases to unhealthy levels. Potassium is an electrolyte, an electrically charged molecule, important in many of the body's processes including muscle movement, the transmission...
Insulin therapy is required for individuals with diabetes. In a non-diabetic person, the pancreas secretes insulin throughout the day which helps cells absorb and use glucose in the blood for energy. People living with diabetes, especially type 1,...
Millions of diabetics require the use of subcutaneous insulin injections to regulate their blood sugar. Chronic exposure to elevated blood sugars is a major risk factor for complications that include stroke, heart disease, eye disease, kidney...
Just as we receive and act on signals from our environment, our cells also receive and act on signals from their environment, our bodies. This is a necessary biological occurrence that keeps cells alive and functioning. Insulin is a hormone...
Your diet and nutrition during pregnancy directly affects your developing baby. It is important to get the necessary vitamins and minerals during your pregnancy for your own health as well. If you are deficient in magnesium, your doctor can help...
Insulin is a hormone in your body that chemically converts glucose into energy and is stored in the muscle, liver or fat cells. It is primarily produced in response to increases in your blood sugar. High-glycemic carbohydrates like starches and...
Insulin is a vital part of the body's ability to regulate energy and metabolism. It is created in the pancreas and distributed to the body. Insulin's primary function in the body is to allow fat cells, the kidneys and the liver to use glucose or...
DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is naturally produced in the body and converted into the hormones estrogen and androgen, which affect sexual development and function. DHEA has a broad range of uses and has been tested for various conditions...
Diabetes is a disease that many people may not know they have, because the symptoms are sometimes masked or thought of as minor. Routine blood work gives doctors a tool to see if further testing for diabetes is necessary. When a chemistry panel...
The occurrence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in America. This disease can be life-threatening, and a cure does not yet exist. Poor eating habits, a lack of exercise and other lifestyle choices account for some of the increase in cases. This...
Diabetes is a condition caused by a lack of insulin production and/or resistance to insulin. Insulin works to take sugar (in the form of glucose) out of the blood and puts it into the liver, fat cells and muscle cells, where it can be used....
Glucose is too large to travel on its own from the blood to the insides of cells. This means that cells need to use special proteins that transport glucose from the blood to the inside of the cell. Some tissues, such as the liver and the brain,...
Glucose, or blood sugar, is the primary source of energy for all cells. While it is important for your body, too much blood sugar, called hyperglycemia, can cause adverse health effects. Normal blood sugar levels should fall somewhere between 70...
After seven or eight hours of sleep, a drop in blood sugar might seem natural. Many diabetics, however, detect a spike in blood sugar in their morning readings. During sleep, the body releases various hormones that cause a spike in blood sugar,...
Insulin is needed to help the body use or store the sugar or glucose it gets from foods. The pancreas can no longer make insulin in people who have Type I diabetes, so they must rely on insulin injections. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are...
Type I diabetes occurs in ten percent of the population. Learn the causes of Type I diabetes in this free video from a nutritionist specializing in diabetic diets.