Type 2 Diabetes: A Case Study

Point 1: (Diagnosis) Type 2 diabetes is when insulin resistance causes blood glucose levels to rise over 126 mg/dL after 8 hours of fasting. The article mentions that type 2 diabetes is directly linked to increased levels of obesity and decreased levels of physical activity, and the people at a high risk are those who are overweight, eat unhealthily, and are highly inactive. Osmotic diuresis, a plasma glucose level of more than 200 mg/dL, an HbA1C value of more than 6.5%, and high triglyceride and LDL levels are all associated with diabetes. Patients with prediabetes (a fasting blood glucose level of 100 to 125 mg/dL) are urged to go on a healthier diet and especially increase physical activity because skeletal muscle deals with 80% of glucose disposal in the …show more content…
The pH of blood drops due to the body’s inability to metabolize glucose, so glucose is stored causing a release of ketones. The drop in pH (caused by the ketones) processes to the brain and the patient experiences dietetic ketoacidosis (a coma-like state). Hypertension is caused by vascular plaque formation due to oxidation of LDL and the drop in nitric oxide (vasodilator) oxidation. A patient with chronic hypertension has a greater risk for renal failure due to these vascular problems. Patients with type 2 diabetes are at risk for infections. If glucose is in the urine, there is a chance for a urinary tract infections. If there is a high level of glucose in the saliva in addition to plaque, the patient is at risk for dental caries due to the created acidic environment. High glucose levels can also cause neurovascular disease in the retina, where damage to the vessels in the retina can occur. The article states that “diabetes is the most common cause of adult blindness.” Lastly, kidney disease (nephropathy) can occur in type 2 diabetes patients because of glucose removal, which causes kidney