Objectives
At the conclusion of this 3 unit course the you will be able to:

Relate the risk factors, signs and symptoms of diabetes.

Differentiate between Type I and Type II diabetes.

Discuss the latest research findings relating to medications, genetics and the disease of diabetes.

Detail the treatment used to control diabetes and to prevent life threatening complications.

Incorporate into practice the knowledge of actions, side effects, onset, peak and duration of several forms of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents.

Manage the care of the diabetic patient during hospitalization, surgery and pregnancy.

Modify the care of the child and adolescent based on the child's stages of growth and development.

Introduction
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It imposes a major burden of preventable illness, premature mortality, excessive financial costs, and diminished quality of life, both upon the persons with the disease and the United States as a whole. It has become apparent that this burden is unnecessary. Many scientific studies show substantial evidence that the onset, development and progression of diabetes and its complications can be substantially delayed and/or reduced through rigorous control of blood glucose levels.

Some of the most frequently appearing symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, fatigue, unplanned and unexplained weight loss, numbness of the feet or hands, blurry vision and excessive thirst. Several major risk factors are associated with diabetes including obesity, lack of physical activity and family history of the disease. Adults over the age of 45 are at higher risk for developing diabetes as are women who have given birth to an infant weighing more than nine pounds at birth. Additionally there is a higher occurrence of diabetes in people of African American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American descent.

Other less commonly occurring factors are associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. Research has indicated that individuals with certain disorders such as pancreatic disease and malnutrition with severe protein deficiency are at risk for diabetes. Patients with chronic pancreatitis lose both the glucagon secreting and insulin secreting islet cells of the pancreas. These individuals, particularly those with a history of alcohol abuse, tend to develop mild hyperglycemia as well as a particular sensitivity to low doses of insulin. In Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, malnourished children develop other forms of diabetes not associated with Type I diabetes, the childhood form of diabetes.