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28.1: Introduction to Diabetes

  • Page ID
    90731
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    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this section, you should be able to:

    • 28.1.1 Describe the pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
    • 28.1.2 Identify clinical manifestations of diabetes.
    • 28.1.3 Identify the etiology and diagnostic studies related to diabetes.

    The islets of Langerhans are clusters of cells located in the pancreas. They are composed of alpha and beta cells, which are crucial for glucose homeostasis. Alpha (α) cells produce glucagon, which breaks down glycogen into glucose in the liver. Beta (β) cells secrete insulin, which regulates glucose metabolism and facilitates absorption of glucose from the bloodstream into cells (see Figure 28.2). Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that is characterized by hyperglycemia associated with alterations in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism (Dilworth et al., 2021).

    The anatomy of the pancreas. The left, larger side of the pancreas is seated within the curve of the duodenum of the small intestine. The smaller, rightmost tip of the pancreas is located near the spleen. The splenic artery is seen traveling to the spleen. However, it has several branches connecting to the pancreas. An interior view of the pancreas shows that the pancreatic duct is a large tube running through the center of the pancreas. It branches throughout its length into several horseshoe-shaped pockets of acinar cells. These cells secrete digestive enzymes, which travel down the bile duct and into the small intestine. There are also small pancreatic islets scattered throughout the pancreas. The pancreatic islets secrete the pancreatic hormones insulin and glucagon into the splenic artery.
    Table 28.1
    Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    After reviewing the client’s symptoms, the nurse anticipates which diagnosis by the health care provider?

  • Gestational diabetes
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Answer

    Type 2 diabetes

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    To determine the client’s blood glucose level over the last 3 months, which diagnostic test does the nurse anticipate the health care provider will order?

  • Complete blood count
  • Random blood glucose
  • Fasting blood glucose
  • Glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c)
  • Answer

    Glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c)


    This page titled 28.1: Introduction to Diabetes is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax.

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