Diabetes Mellitus

Derived from the Greek language "Diabetes" meaning " to flow through" and Mellitus meaning: sweet, Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder, affecting the flow of sugar (Glucose) in our body.

What Happens
To Our Body When We Eat:

	Food breaks down into a form of sugar called Glucose–the main fuel of our body.
	Sugar enters the blood stream and the level of sugar in our blood begins to rise.
	The body then sends a signal to our PANCREAS–the manufacturer and the supplier of a chemical known as INSULIN–for its supply.
	Insulin lowers the level of sugar in the blood by letting sugar leave the blood stream and go into the body cells.
	The body cells use the sugar for fuel or energy our body needs.

If It
Does Not Happen

When the above happens the way it should, we have energy for a full and active life. If not, sugar builds up in our blood stream instead of going into our body cells. This is caused by a relative or absolute deficiency of INSULIN. As a matter of fact, insulin is the key, which opens the doors of our body cells to allow sugar to enter. The body of a person with diabetes either does not make enough insulin or is unable to use the insulin produced by it. Our body, through urination, then throws the unused sugar away and our body is deprived of its fuel.

SOME BEMOANING
FACTS ABOUT DIABETES

	More than 135million people worldwide have diabetes and every year 2.8 million people die from the disease.
	India is the Global Capital of diabetes with over 35 million diabetics. With the rapidly increasing population, the incidence of diabetes in India is likely to double in the next 15 years.
	The world would be home to 300 million diabetics by 2025, about 20 % of whom would be Indians.
	Ninety percent of those who are diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes have no family history of the disease.
	By the time a 10 year old child with diabetes is 20 years old, more than half a million diabetic limbs are lost during this period in the United States alone.
	There is no known cure for diabetes. All treatment modalities to date only help to control the disease. Islet cell transplantation, a development which is still in its infancy, has the potential of emerging as a ‘curative treatment’ for diabetes.

Hope And Wish
You Are Not Diabetic

DO YOU KNOW that an estimated 35 million Indians suffer from diabetes and almost half of them are not even aware that they are suffering from it. Check yourself against the following signs and symptoms:

In case, any of the above signs
or symptoms manifests in you, it is advisable
that you undergo a periodic check for diabetes and contact
your healthcare provider.