Metformin is a drug that affects glucose metabolism and is widely used in the management of type 2 diabetes. It can also be prescribed for insulin resistance syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, prediabetes, gestational diabetes, and sometimes even for weight loss management. Unlike many other modern drugs, metformin is not a compound specifically designed to target specific molecular mechanisms and diseases. In contrast,…
Insulin is a vital hormone produced by the pancreas. One of its main functions is to ensure that cells can use glucose as an energy source. More about the mechanism of action of insulin: Insulin Insulin resistance refers to a decrease in the sensitivity of cells to its action. In order for cells not to be deprived of an energy source and the amount of unabsorbed glucose in the blood not to increase, the body has to turn on a compensation mechanism, which involves the pancreas releasing more insulin,…
Q: What does it mean when thyroid antibodies (TPO-Ab and TG-Ab) are elevated when other tests are normal? Q: Antibodies to thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin (TPO-Ab and TG-Ab) indicate an autoimmune thyroid disease, known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and/or chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. These antibodies damage the cells of the gland and over time cause its function to be impaired, which is clinically manifested by thyroid hormone deficiency, or hypothyroidism. It is impossible…
Type 2 diabetes is a disease where two categories of causes are distinguished: one that we cannot change and the other, the control mechanisms of which are in our hands. By activating these mechanisms, it is quite possible to prevent the disease or significantly delay the onset of its development. The main thing to do is to make a decision. The decision to make a healthier lifestyle, that is, to do this…
Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the blood sugar level is too low. It is not a disease, but a symptom that indicates the presence of a disease. Hypoglycemia is common in people with diabetes, but is quite rare in people without diabetes. Hypoglycemia How blood sugar is regulated in diabetes Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain and the entire body. The hormone mainly responsible for maintaining normal blood glucose levels is insulin. It helps glucose move from the blood into the cells…
Childhood obesity is one of the most important challenges of the modern world. The number of overweight and obese children is increasing every year. The cause in most cases is an inactive lifestyle and malnutrition, along with genetic predisposition. Only in very few cases is the cause of obesity at this age any serious disorders in the body. The increasing role of television, computers, and video games leads to the fact that the time spent during the day is increasing…
The level of glucose in the blood is never constant. It is characterized by fluctuations throughout the day in both healthy and diabetic people. The leading factor that determines the amount of sugar in the blood at a particular moment is the last food consumed: its composition, quantity, and the time elapsed since its consumption. The influence of physical activity, various diseases, and stress is also important. In a healthy person's body, regardless of the influence of any factor, the sugar level never exceeds the normal limit, that is, it is maintained…
Gestational diabetes is a condition in which a woman who has not had diabetes before develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Like other types of diabetes, the disease disrupts the body's ability to use glucose. The hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) caused by gestational diabetes negatively affects the health of the mother and fetus. Any complication during pregnancy is a concern, but the relative ease in this case is that controlling the disease...
Prediabetes can be considered an alarm bell that warns us that we are on the path to diabetes. This is a condition in which the sugar content in the blood is higher than it should be in the norm, but has not yet exceeded the level that is characteristic of diabetes. How does prediabetes develop? Under normal conditions, the body produces the hormone insulin, which helps cells absorb glucose and controls its amount in the blood. Prediabetes…
The carbohydrates we eat are broken down in the body and converted into a special sugar called glucose. Glucose is a source of energy for cells, but the most important component of its use for this purpose is the hormone insulin. See the mechanism of action of insulin here. Mechanism of disease development Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which the body cannot produce the required amount of insulin or cannot use it properly, resulting in impaired glucose…
The pancreas is the organ that receives and produces insulin. The main purpose of this vital hormone is to help the body absorb sugar (glucose) from food and use it as a source of energy, as well as to create a reserve of glucose for later use. In this way, insulin protects the body from both high (hyperglycemia) and low (hypoglycemia) blood sugar levels. How insulin works All cells need energy to function. Food intake…
In medicine, the main goal of assessing a person's body mass is to determine the risk of chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity. One of the accepted methods for this is to calculate the body mass index. It determines how much body mass is in relation to height. To calculate it, it is necessary to divide the mass (in kilograms) by the square of the height (in meters), i.e. BMI = mass (kg)/height ²(m²) The resulting figure is interpreted as follows: <18,5 _ mass deficiency 18,5-24,9 _ normal…