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CRIC ID MODULE CODE
27331 SCI112

MODULE NAME LECTURER

Biology 1 Komal Ramlagun

ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE SEMESTER

09-November-2018 1

Mark:

STUDENT DECLARATION
I understand the CRIC policy on plagiarism and confirm that the material contained in this assignment is my
own work unless otherwise acknowledged and I have not allowed my own work to be plagiarised.

Student Signature _____________________________ Date ___________31-November 2018_________

Diagnostic of a male patient with Type-2 Diabetes
Nayra Guzman-Santillan

Introduction
Type 2 diabetes is one of the commonest conditions people may suffer. Normally
carbohydrates break down and are turned into glucose, which is sent into the bloodstream. The
pancreas then creates a hormone know as insulin, which plays an important role of transporting
glucose from the bloodstream into cells and creating energy (Barrier, 2011). In the case of
diabetes, the pancreas does not work correctly so blood glucose levels get higher (Diabetes
UK, 2018). This essay will describe in more detail, the symptoms of this illness in a male
patient hereafter referred as “X”.

Diagnosis
Patient X presented symptoms described below leading to the conclusion that he has T2
diabetes. The first symptom presented was increased fatigue. This could be because eventually
the body creates less insulin, it causes higher blood glucose, therefore the body does not
transport enough glucose into cells, leading to a sense of tiredness because not enough energy
is produced (Diabetes UK, 2018). The patient also suffered of increased frequency in urination,
this can be understood as a symptom of diabetes because there are high levels of blood glucose,
kidneys work more trying to absorb the sugar, but as there is an excess of sugar, this needs to
be secreted with urine and other fluids, triggering frequency in urine. During frequent urination,
glucose is lost and with this, calories, causing an elevated hunger because glucose never
reaches the cells, consequently the patient also suffers a rapid fluctuation in weight (Mayo
clinic, 2016). The last symptom the patient presented was blurred vision, also closely related
to diabetes. Retinas are located at the posterior part of the eye, blood is provided through
vessels, a constant supply of blood high in glucose damages such vessels causing blurry vision,
which if not treated could lead to blindness (NHS, 2016). It is worth mentioning that some
symptoms may be shared with other illnesses for example hypertension (such as vision
problems, fatigue and headache) but can be discarded by other symptoms or the lack of them
(difficulty breathing, or chest pain are common as hypertension symptoms but patient X did
not present them) (Siyad, 2011).
Possible Cause
Forty-year old patient X’s background could have increased his possibilities of developing
diabetes. Although he may share similar symptoms with diabetes type-1, the next evaluation
led to conclude that such option was not correct. Type-2 diabetes usually manifests in people
after forty years old and older (Diabetes UK, 2012). Although type-1 could appear at any age,
it is more common with children and young adults (Kaufman, F.R., 2012), decreasing the
possibilities of it being type-1 in people older than 40 years old. The patient is also obese which
plays a key role in type-2 diabetes, as Pantarolo (2015, pp.147) explained type-2 diabetes “is a
multifactorial disease” that could also be caused by a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, being
overweight or in obese physical conditions. Furthermore, patient X is also of African-
Caribbean descent, which could have increased the chances of developing such illness, because
diabetes is more of an inherited risk. (Chase and Maahs, 2012, pp.22), and people of Asian,
African or African Caribbean heritage, presents higher risks of developing T2 diabetes
(Gallagher, 2012). All these symptoms reject again the possibilities of type-1 diabetes.

Prognosis
Quality of life and life expectancy comes down to the person in question. Having diabetes will
change a person’s daily routine. It will not be so simple eating unhealthy foods at any time,
sometimes strict diets are requested to follow, also regular blood glucose levels checks must
not be forgotten, which sometimes can become very overwhelming for a person. People may
suffer from anxiety and depression because of these sudden changes, spiralling denial and
anger. As previously said, some may have to keep a strict diet causing people to become
frightened of eating unhealthily, leading to eating disorders such as anorexia. Other
complications can be observed such as blurred vision, weight loss, frequent urination, or in
extreme cases even falling into a coma. However, with a good management, there can be a
reduction on the negative effects of these problems, limiting the damage they can do. In general,
because diabetes usually means failure of other organs life expectancy may be shortened by a
couple of years in average. In a study done by Loukine, et al. (2012) life expectancy (LE) in
males without diabetes was 80.2 years approximately, but with diabetes LE was reduced an
average of 6 years. At the end, it depends greatly in how early it is detected and treated, because
there are cases where people were able to have a good quality life and a full life expectancy
whilst still having diabetes (Saudek, Rubin and Shump, 1997).
Treatment
Because obesity is often linked to diabetes, managing T2 diabetes according to experts can be
cured with diet, exercise, and good health practices. Eating food high in fibre and low in fats
is highly recommended such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits, as well as choosing low
glycaemic index foods to regulate blood sugar (sweets and refined carbohydrates should be
kept to a minimum). It is also advised a minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise, that should
be practiced at least 5 day per week. Aerobic exercises (running, dancing, etc.) combined with
resistance training (weightlifting) is more effective for diabetic patients than any other solo
exercise. Blood sugar and insulin must be checked, how often is advised by doctors depending
on patients. Although for some patients, eating healthy and regular exercise may be enough to
control their illness, others may need medicine and/or insulin therapy, such medicine should
only be advised by doctors because other factors may need to be considered when choosing the
most appropriate and helpful therapy for each person (Rubin, 2014).

Conclusion
We can conclude that male patient X presents type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is very common illness
all over the world, and it stars with an abnormality in the pancreas and the production of insulin,
affecting the overall functioning in our system. Diabetes type-1 and type-2 present similarities
but can be distinguished upon further background check in the patient, such as age and heritage.
Diabetes affects various parts in the human body, so it can be easily mistaken with other related
illnesses such as hypertension. Although diabetes has no specific cause, it is usually linked to
obesity and inheritance, and that is why treatment normally means healthy diets and regular
physical activity. If the patient takes care of themselves, a full life expectancy can be possible.
Reference list
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