Diabetes and its Impact on Health: A Comprehensive Study

Diabetes is a medical condition where body is not able to utilize glucose and which leads
to high sugar level in blood. Glucose is the main source of energy for cells in the body. Glucose
levels are regulated by a hormone called insulin, which is secreted by pancreas. The main
function of insulin is to transfer sugar from blood into the cells to be use and stored for energy.
Diabetes being a demanding disease can effect quality of life in many ways (Goldstein and
Müller-Wieland, 2016). High sugar level in the blood causes stress and even cause imbalances
blood pressure.
Person suffering from diabetes has serious impacts on their life. Never ending demand of
body being effected from diabetes such as regular medications, vaccinations, eating carefully and
monitoring blood glucose levels at frequent basis can effect a person mentally. Diabetes
eventually effect blood pressure of an individual and also it may cause obesity to the person.
Obesity leads to increase in stress hormone (cortisol) which could cause dementia or some
serious mental health problem to individuals suffering from diabetes (Zhu and et. al., 2016).
However, it can be analyse that this particular medical condition has to be treated at initial level
otherwise it may effect the quality of life or eventually leads to early death of an individual.
Middle aged adults including both men and women with an age group of 40-59 years in
Massachusetts which is a state in New England area of North-eastern United States has been
effected by diabetes. Statistical evidence of adults being effected by diabetes in Massachusetts is
discussed below:
Prevalence of diabetes in Massachusetts has been increasing gradually since many
years. Around 3.9% of the individuals living in Massachusetts had diabetes in 1993. The amount
of effected individual has become double in next 22 years, which is an estimated of 8.9% of
Massachusetts individuals including middle aged adults in 2015 has been effected by this
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particular disorder (Massachusetts Diabetes Data, 2019). However, White non-Hispanic
Massachusetts residents has lesser chances of being effected by diabetes in comparison to black
non-Hispanic and Hispanic Massachusetts individuals. Prevalence of diabetes is increasing with
the age which is 18.5% and 22.8% in individuals with age group of 65-74 years.
Risk factors
Risk factors are the chances of increasing a particular disease. A physiological risk factor
such as stress can increase the chances of a person to increase diabetes. Stress can be consider as
a hurdle for body to control its blood sugar levels. Stress hormones may directly effect the
glucose levels. If an individual is experiencing some kind of stress, his body will react on it for
giving a fight response. Such responses will raise the hormonal levels and make nerve cells to
fire. Body will release hormones such as cortisol or adrenaline into the blood which eventually
leads to increase in respiratory rates (Hod and et. al., 2016). It will cause barriers for converting
glucose levels into energy and cause blood glucose levels to rise. There are ways through which
stress can worsen the effects of diabetes on individual health.
Raise blood sugar levels: Stress triggers the body to release stress hormones such as
cortisol. It is a hormone which helps the body to fight against tough conditions. Release of
cortisol cause increase in heart or breathing rates. Such conditions leads to transfer of glucose or
proteins which are stored in liver into the bloodstream. Body will release sugar into the blood in
order to provide energy throughout the system. Hence, it will result in high sugar levels.
Activates fat cells: Stress hormone which is cortisol triggers the enzymes of fat cells
which make the fats cells to be stored deep at the abdomen. Stress can lead to accumulation of
belly fats in the individuals. More stress leads to increase level of cortisol and which eventually
leads to abdominal fats. The fats at the centre of the stomach cause high level of blood pressure
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and diabetes. Individuals who are already suffering from diabetes may worsen their conditions if
they take a lot of stress. Cortisol also elevate food cravings of an individual which make it hard
to deal with diabetes.
Cause insulin resistance: Cortisol which is a stress hormone make uneasy for the
pancreas to secrete insulin which is require to transfer of glucose from bloodstream into the cells.
However because of stress pancreas struggle to meet the high demand of insulin. Level of
glucose in the blood is high (Berkowitz and et. al., 2016). It also also causes the cells to not
receive proper amount of glucose for functioning of system. These all actions causes insulin
resistance and may worse the conditions of the individuals already suffering from diabetes.
It effect sleep: stress as well as anxiety cause tension to individuals and make it difficult
for them to sleep. Different studies has been shown the negative consequences of improper sleep
on health conditions of individuals. Sleeping for less than 6 years cause impaired sugar tolerance.
Such conditions will cause increase of blood sugar level and may result in worse conditions for
individuals already suffering from diabetes. People who sleep less or individuals who are tired
tends to eat more as they need a source of energy. This cause people to consume food products
which has high sugar levels or that can elevate blood sugar levels.
Theory
Health promotion is a process of awaring and improving the health conditions of
individuals in a community. The main motive of health promotion is to enhance overall health
conditions of the individuals (Essien, Shahid and Berkowitz, 2016). There are number of health
promotion theories available that can be used by care professionals to improve the health status
of population in given geographcal area. One of such theory for promoting health is discussed
here.
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Social Cognitive theory: This Scene of this theory which people acquire by observation
another. In psychology, they justify the personality in terms of what person thinks about or
responds to one social environment. People are also more promising to simulate those with
whom they recognise. Bandura famously illustrated social erudition by display children picture
of a girl clout a doll conferred future with a doll, the children act up in likewise assertive ways.
Not all learning is enactment upon such as one may acquire to Holman Hunt by observant others
yet never in reality hunt.
This theory used in educational activity, psychological science or communication,
postulate which component part of a person cognition acquiring can be straight accompanying to
perceptive to some other inside the linguistic context of social fundamental interaction,
extracurricular media determinant and physical phenomenon. Calculate on whether people are
get reward or punished for their behaviour or the resultant of the behaviour that is exemplary.
The explanation proceeds into relationship a person gone experiences which cause into whether
behavioural human action will pass off (Basnet and et. al., 2016). These past experiences
impacted anticipate, re-enforce or outlook all of which form whether a someone will prosecute in
a particular activeness or the intellect why a person pursue in that human nature. This theory
germinate self skilfulness was added into SCT are Reciprocal determinism, Behavioural
Capability, observational learning, reinforcements, Expectations, self efficiency. This theory
includes many levels of the social ecology model in addressing demeanour alteration of
organism. Apart from this SCT is broadly used in health promotional material.
There are some key factors that are relevant to health activity alteration interventions of social
cognitive theory.
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