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Type 3 Diabetes Case Study

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Diabetes effects approximately 30.3 million people in the United States and of that percentage about 7.2 million went undiagnosed in the year 2015 (5). Every year around 1.5 million individuals are diagnosed with have diabetes. So, what is this disease that impacts so much of the population?
What is Diabetes:
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when an individual’s blood sugar or glucose is too high for their body to accommodate (5). Blood sugar is responsible for energy production within the body and is produced from the food that a person consumes every day. There is a hormone, called Insulin, that helps aid the body in breaking down glucose in order to make energy. However, sometimes, the pancreas (where Insulin is made) cannot produce enough, …show more content…

The change in blood vessels caused by atherosclerosis is usually used in discussion about cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke, etc.), though atherosclerosis can also effect cerebral blood vessels leading to the development of Alzheimer’s (7).
Type III Diabetes:
Lately, Alzheimer’s has been labeled as type III diabetes. Why? Studies have shown that a lack of insulin or insulin resistance can impair cognition but also be responsible for the formation of amyloid plaques which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease (1). Due to the latter research, scientists have begun calling it Type III diabetes or diabetes of the brain. Approximately 70% of people with Type II diabetes go on to develop Alzheimer’s …show more content…

Bittman, Mark. “Is Alzheimer's Type 3 Diabetes?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2012, opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/bittman-is-alzheimers-type-3-diabetes/.

2. “Complications.” American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/.

3. “How Alzheimer's Could Be Type 2 Diabetes.” Alzheimers.net, 7 June 2016, www.alzheimers.net/2015-10-14/how-alzheimers-could-be-type-2-diabetes/.

4. “How Can Diabetes Cause Atherosclerosis?” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 14 Aug. 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/40983-can-diabetes-cause-atherosclerosis/.

5. “Statistics About Diabetes.” American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/.

6. “What Is Diabetes?” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 Nov. 2016, www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes.

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