Stages of diabetes as a result of β-cell disorders during the disease
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder with disturbances of glucose metabolic process. Scientists affirm that the knowledge of the stages of diabetes allows to understand better the particularities of the origin and development of this condition. Various circumstances make patients ask their medical professionals “What are the stages of diabetes?” Responding to the question “What are the stages of diabetes?” medical professionals identify several stages of this disease. Specialists point out that each of the stages of diabetes is characterized by various changes concerning the mass of β-cells, their function, and even their appearance. Stages of diabetes pass through several phases and the first of them is compensatory one. At the beginning stages of diabetes insulin secretion is increased in order to support the normal blood glucose levels taking into account the insulin resistance as well as the decreasing volume of the β-cells. The second phase of the stages of diabetes takes place when glucose concentrations begin to increase. At this stage the β-cell condition is rather steady, however their adaptive functions are broken and the cells are losing their mass. The third phase of stages of diabetes represent a period of instability with beginning decompensation, while the glucose concentrations may quickly increase, gradually passing to the fourth phase of the stages of diabetes. This is a condidion of obvious diabetes with an open decompensation and grave β-cell abnomalities. The final of the stages of diabetes is featured by significant decompensation and a deep decrease of the mass of β-cells against the background of the appearance of ketone bodies.
Particularities of stages of diabetes
The process that passes through the above described stages of diabetes is the result of suppressed production or low activity of insulin. Insulin is an endocrine hormone created by the β-cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreatic gland. Insulin regulates glucose metabolism and the lacking yield or low activity of insulin leads to the breakdown of glucose metabolism as well as to the unfitness to amass glycogen in the liver. The transfer of sugar into the cells becomes also difficult. As a result, the glucose blood concentrations are increased in the blood and urine. The people are ill with weakness, thirst, hunger, itching, weight loss, and considerable urination. Abnormal blood glucose concentrations result in protein and fatty disintegration, vascular problems and artery stiffenig. Diabetes mellitus could result in diabetic acidosis with high concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood. In this situation, medical professionals find specific respiratory changes in the affected persons due to ketones.
Particularities of secondary diabetes
Diabetes mellitus may appear in the form of secondary diabetes being associated with some other diseases and conditions. Among the states that may result in secondary diabetes doctors name pancreatic affections, such as pancreatitis, and some genetic abnormalities leading to the diseases, like myotonic dystrophy. Among other diseases leading to secondary diabetes are acromegaly, hemochromatosis, and pheochromocytoma. Secondary diabetes may develop as an outcome of treatment of diverse medical conditions. It was also noticed that some drugs affecting glucose metabolism, for examples glucocorticoids, may give rise to the secondary diabetes. Some doctors also speak of gestational diabetes as a variety of secondary diabetes on the background of pregnancy. In this condition of secondary diabetes, blood glucose concentrations increase during pregnancy. Fortunately, in the majority of cases of this type of secondary diabetes blood glucose usually becomes normal after childbirth. Doctors, however, warn that gestational diabetes may become a risk factor of the disease later, giving rise to all stages of diabetes.