Diabetes Research Paper

Diabetes
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Introduction
Diabetes increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, while the case for Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) is now considered one of the approaches for managing the condition (Norris et al., 2002). However, follow-up sessions help to reinforce what the patients learn given that learned behavior may take time to change. Most of the diabetes interventions aim to improve the quality of life while also reducing complications. To maintain the long-term behavioral change, there is a need to understand how the different affect glycemic control. Since diabetic patients need to have adequate coping skills, the education intervention highlights the importance of lifestyle behavior in influencing health outcome. This paper focuses on the health communication in diabetes intervention and effectiveness of self-management intervention programs.
Background
Homeostasis is the state of equilibrium that the enables the body to perform its function, and an imbalances comprises the health condition of a person. Diabetes is one of the diseases that affect homeostasis whereby there is an imbalance in the blood sugar levels as well as impaired water regulations (Unger & Schwartz, 2013). People suffering from diabetes have high sugar levels, and they may suffer thirst, hunger and urination more frequently compared to non-diabetics. In Type 1diabetes, the patients are unable to produce insulin, this results in an imbalance in the blood sugar levels (WebMed, 2015). The patients then require insulin injections to bring abuot homeostasis. On the other hand, the Type 2 diabetes arises when insulin levels produced are insufficient or the body is resistant to insulin (WebMed, 2015). Living a healthy lifestyle is recommended in his case including, exercising, proper dieting, weight loss and proper monitoring of the blood sugar levels.
Flow diagram of the diabetes progression



This explains the progression of diabetes depending on defective insulin action and secretion, which impair the homeostasis of blood glucose, while also increasing the risk of diabetes.
According to (Jayagopal et al., 2002), there is a biological variation in insulin resistance for patients with diabetes type 2. Since diabetic patients are at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, there is a need to identify the impact of insulin resistance, which can then be a therapeutic target. In any case, reducing insulin resistance is related to better gylcemic control, and this also facilitates the modification of various elements of the insulin resistance syndrome. Nonetheless, one of the main challenges in treating diabetes is that there are few studies that focus on the biological variability of insulin resistance (Jayagopal et al., 2002).
Negative feedback of homeostasis


The negative feedback loop highlights the changes to bring the body into a state of homeostasis after a rise in blood sugar level. When the glucose level increase the pancreas receptors produce more insulin, with liver in turn storing the glucose (glycogen), and this then returns the glucose level to the normal level to ensure there is no more deviation.
Pathogenesis of diabetes
The regulation of plasma glucose level occurs through insulin dependent processes but also those that are insulin independent. As such, these processes interact to regulate the glucose level within the acceptable limit in normal individuals. Among the insulin independent process is those regulated but the brain as well as the nervous system. The regulation of the glucose through glucose transporter 1(GLUT-1), which is a protein that facilitates glucose transportation where are high or low high plasma glucose levels and insulin (Lebovitz, n.d.). The adipose tissue and muscle respond to insulin, and they may rely on free fatty acids or glucose as a metabolic fuel.
Diabetes affects different body systems while one can suffer from insulin-resistant or insulin sensitive-sensitive type II diabetes (Lebovitz, n.d). Since diabetes is associated with hormonal inconsistencies, the endocrine is affected. Another side effect of diabetes is frequent urination that affects the urinary system, meaning that the body is not able to properly regulate water level, in extreme cases the kidney malfunction. The nervous system is also affected especially when there is too much glucose circulating, and there is risk of nerve damage when the blood sugar level is elevated. Most of the research has focused on type2 diabetes, given the need to understand how impaired glucose tolerance affects the lifestyle of diabetes patients.
Health risks
There is a concern among the public health workers on the impact of diabetes in the poor neighborhoods since patients typically seek medical attention when it is too late. In America, African Americans are at a higher risk of diabetes, tend are likely to eat healthy compared to other racial groups. In order to address the problem of diabetes, health practitioners need to be more proactive in their quest to ensure that the patients focus more on their lifestyle choices. Even though, those affected by diabetes may understand the importance of dieting, they may be less inclined to focus on the portion size of their meals, and the calories intake for different food choices.
The interaction of various risk factors affects the progression of diabetes type 2. One of the primary factors is being overweight and obese, as the body becomes more resistant to insulin. Education programs on self-management highlight the need for diabetic patients to adhere to proper dieting. Additionally, sedentary lifestyles and being inactive increase the risk of diabetes, while physical activities help to control weight (Mayoclinic.org, 2015). In most cases, those diagnosed with prediabetes (high blood sugar level) are at a risk of diabetes especially if there is not lifestyle modification. Family history, age and race have also been identified as risk factors whereby families with a history of diabetes have members at high risk of diabetes. Equally, as people get older there are is increased risk of diabetes (Mayoclinic.org, 2015).
The importance of communication
Barriers to communication might distort the intended meaning in the management of diabetes programs. On one hand, the patients need to understand different aspects of the intervention, on the other health concepts need to be tailored to their needs. Given the need to have a positive impact on the patients, their ability to utilize self-management skills cannot be downplayed. As such, the information targeted to the patients takes into account their demographic characteristics, and how they make decision food choices. Ideally, they should be more aware how lifestyle choices affect their health condition especially on glycemic control.
There is an assumption that diabetic patients are likely to change their behavior over time gradually as hey attain more knowledge on diabetes self-management. The rationale for this is that as the participants attain more knowledge th...