Question

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body metabolizes glucose. A patient presents with headaches, blurred vision, frequent urination, hunger and fatigue, and a blood test shows dangerously elevated blood glucose levels.

What is the implication of insulin in the case of this patient; are insulin-related processes normal or dysfunctional? How does this impact gluconeogenesis in the patient and how can their symptoms be explained?

Answer 1

In this patient, Insulin related processes are dysfunctional since the Glucose levels in the blood are elevated. This may occur either because of loss of Insulin production or desensitization to Insulin.

In a normal individual, Insulin inhibits Glucagon synthesis. Glucagon promotes Gluconeogenesis, and the presence of Insulin prevents Gluconeogenesis. In this patient, since Insulin is low and/or cells are Insulin resistant, Gluconeogenesis proceeds unhindered, further adding to the blood glucose levels in this individual.

Their symptoms can be explained by Type-II diabetes, where cells in the Liver, Muscle, and Adipose tissues, become Insulin resistant, thereby increasing Glucose production. This causes Metabolic stress to the body as there is too much glucose in the bloodstream, causing the symptoms.