Woodcock, Alison and Bradley, Clare (2007) Diabetes Mellitus In: Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press.
Full text access: Open
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder, characterised by raised glucose levels in blood (hyperglycaemia) and urine (glycosuria). The cause may be inherited and/or acquired deficiency of insulin production by the pancreas, or insulin resistance, where the insulin produced is ineffective. Increased blood glucose concentrations can cause structural damage, particularly to blood vessels and nerves. Microvascular complications of diabetes (diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy) bring problems of blindness, kidney failure, foot ulcers, gangrene and erectile impotence. However, heart disease accounts for around 50% of deaths of people with diabetes. Management involves striving to maintain blood glucose at near-normal levels through behaviour change and medication, prevention or early detection and treatment of microvascular complications and reduction of cardiovascular risk, including hypertension, lipids and weight.
This is a Submitted version This version's date is: 9/2007 This item is not peer reviewed
https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/845263e5-3630-8a0b-3619-f5673892c660/6/
Deposited by Research Information System (atira) on 03-Jul-2014 in Royal Holloway Research Online.Last modified on 03-Jul-2014
Copyright Cambridge University Press 2007. The eprint on Royal Holloway Research Online may be downloaded and printed once for the purposes of private study or research only.