Answer

Analyzing the Case of Diabetes

The Cure: How close are we?

            I acknowledge the fact that to effectively come up with the cure of Type 1 diabetes, it is desirable for health care professionals to consider establishing medications needed to hinder the body from engaging in an action which involves the body affecting itself. The D-Sense vaccine can be effective in addressing type 1 diabetes since it is devised with a way of presenting the immune system from attacking the organs focused on the generating insulin. The fact that the immune system can be reset from engaging in self-attacking moves provides an indication that a positive progress is being generated to address the type 1 diabetes cases. Although pancreas transplant has been considered as an option, I believe that the process can be time consuming and highly expensive. These can be hindrances to achieving effective treatment options thus slowing down the efforts of identifying treatment for type 1 diabetes.

Being overweight is considered as an effective consideration for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. I agree with this factor based on the fact that being overweight has remained to be a leading factor which has encouraged patients to develop Type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it is accurate to derive that preventing patients from becoming obese through actions such as engaging in intensive exercising to ensure weight loss is regarded as an effective strategy which can address the type 2 diabetes concern. I believe that when the patients are encouraged about the importance of maintaining a normal BMI through weight loss, the chances that type 2 diabetes will be addressed is enhanced.

Top Ten Worse Foods for Diabetes

            I was not surprised by the fact that foods high in sugar are worse for an individual’s health. Notably, high sugar levels prompts the body to store excessive fats which makes it possible for one to add extra weight. Foods such as rice and potatoes among some other carbs are regarded as foods high in sugar. Therefore, I was not surprised when I saw the two types of foods being discussed as those discouraged for people to avoid the development of Type 2 diabetes. Arguably, besides being high in sugar, rice and potatoes are known to be high in calories. The high levels of calories are detrimental in that they contribute towards the development of obesity. I believe that after a person becomes obese, the chances that he/she will develop Type 2 diabetes is intensified. Notably, I believe that it is a fact that obesity results to the development of Type 2 diabetes.

            I was not surprised learning that diet is the leading factor which results in the development of Type 1 and 2 diabetes. With this information, I consider it accurate that a patient who plans to maintain an effective diet can avoid becoming a victim of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. My positive stand is maintained by the fact that when one effectively plans his/her diet, the chances that the blood glucose will be maintained at desirable levels is enhanced. I agree that when the blood glucose is maintained at effective levels, one will less likely suffer from Type 1 or 2 diabetes.

ADH and Pituitary Glands

Mr. Merryweathers hypothalamic tumor can affect his ability to secrete enough antidiuretic hormone (ADH) due to the inability of the hypothalamus nerve cells to transport the hormone through the nerve fibers to the pituitary gland. Inadequate ADH secretion from the posterior pituitary is often caused by head trauma, tumors, or infections involving the hypothalamus resulting in diabetes insipidus. According to Asa and Mete (2019), the low levels of ADH may be due to the impairment of the hypothalamus depending on its hormonal product. In the hypothalamic neurons, the arginine vasopressin hormone which is the ADH is released alongside a carrier protein known as neurophysin. However, these processes are negatively affected when the hypothalamus experiences some type of trauma, infection, or tumor which affects the hormonal secretion (Asa & Mete, 2019). The impact of the secreted hormone varies with the tumor type without any consideration of its impact on the pituitary. As the hypothalamus is the one responsible for most pituitary hormones stimulation, it often causes tumors in the pituitary known as hypopituitarism which is common in individuals with hypothalamic tumors. Moreover, the exception is when the lesion destroys the sella turcica. Patients with hypothalamic tumor may secrete excess GHRH resulting in acromegaly, and low vasopressin levels which impacts the secretion of ADH. Hence, damage to the hypothalamus impacts the secretion of ADH which in turn prevents dehydration and the ability of the kidney to conserve water. That is the reason Mr. Merryweathers hypothalamic tumor is causing his lack of ADH. 

The Renin-angiotensin System

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is crucial to the function of regulating blood flow. With the kidneys as the primary producer of renin, it has the ability to determine when it is needed in the blood especially during low blood flow. Renin stimulates the realization of angiotensin in the tissues and blood which results in the release of aldosterone (Muñoz-Durango, 2016). The juxtaglomerular (JG) cells are activated once the kidney senses low blood flow. They contain prorenin which is converted into its active form known as renin to act on the liver produced angiotensinogen which circulates in the plasma (Fountain & Lappin, 2020). Renin smashes the angiotensinogen into small components of angiotensin I which despite being physiologically inactive acts as a forerunner for angiotensin II. After the conversion, angiotensin II binds the AT receptors and causes vasodilation after which it degrades into angiotensin III and IV. According to Fountain and Lappin (2020), angiotensin II increases the Na-H exchange in the kidneys proximal convoluted tubule resulting in an increase in the reabsorption of sodium which in turn increases the blood osmolarity and ultimately causes an alteration of the fluid into extracellular space and blood volume. However, the process increases an individual’s arterial pressure. As such, the angiotensin II turns on the adrenal cortex and causes aldosterone release which stimulates increases in potassium excretion and sodium reabsorption which results in high osmolarity and subsequently an increase in blood volume (Fountain & Lappin, 2020). The angiotensin II also impact the vasoconstriction by binding to the G protein-coupled receptors causing potent arteriolar vasoconstriction which increases the total peripheral resistance resulting in increased blood pressure. Angiotensin II also impacts the hypothalamus by provoking thirst resulting in increased water intake. It also arouses ADH secretion which increases the reabsorption of water in the kidney through the aquaporin channels in the collecting duct. Hence, these interactions cause an increase in the total body water and body sodium which in turn helps fix low blood flow.   

Why are Type 2 Diabetes Patients not prone to Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

            Type 1 diabetes patients are highly prone to diabetic ketoacidosis in comparison to Type 2 patients. Evidently, patients diagnosed with the Type 1 diabetes are known to be insulin dependent (Krause, 2016). As a result, the patients diagnosed with this condition are highly likely to develop diabetic ketoacidosis since they have an absolute insulin deficiency. The deficiency is mainly as a result of the autoimmune destruction of the patients’ beta cells present in the pancreas. On the contrary, patients diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes are known to be vulnerable to conditions such as obesity. Moreover, Type 2 diabetes patients are also known to have a family history of diabetes. The Type 2 diabetes patients are also are also known to have a high level of peripheral insulin resistance with a prior enhanced or normal circulating levels of the endogenous insulin. According to Krause (2016), diabetic ketoacidosis is less common among people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in comparison to those with Type 1 diabetes. The risk is mainly associated with the level of insulin present in the patient’s body. Arguably, the Type 2 diabetes patients are resistant to insulin rather than being deficient to the hormone unlike in the case of those with Type 1 diabetes. When diabetic ketoacidosis is experienced, infection, the discontinuation of medication, diabetes condition which is newly diagnosed or inadequate insulin therapy are some of the common precipitation factors (Krause, 2016). Therefore, it is evident that the presence of insulin and the ability to be resistant to it is one of the fundamental factors which determines if a diabetes patient will be resistant or vulnerable to diabetic ketoacidosis.

Impact of the parathyroid glands on bones

            The parathyroid glands is one of the important parts of the human system. The parathyroid glands are directly responsible for the generation of the parathyroid hormone which is further released into the human blood system. The parathyroid hormone (PTH) later moves into different parts of the body including the bones. One of the functionality of the hormone includes the fact that it is used for the purpose of remodeling. The parathyroid hormone has the ability of weakening a person’s bones based on the fact that the hormone has the potential of eliminating a small percentage of calcium from the bones. Based on the fact that the body is generating the parathyroid hormone in high levels, it evident that it will also result to the removal of the calcium from the bones in high amounts (Webmd, 2021). The removal of the calcium in high levels provides a depiction that the hormone will result to weaker bones that the normal. In the events whereby the human system result to high amounts of the parathyroid hormone, several other concerns can also be experienced besides the concern with the weak bones. For instance, a person is highly likely to suffer from intestinal issues, brain and kidney problems, and also the weaknesses of the mentioned organs. Therefore, it is a fact that the parathyroid glands available in the neck are directly responsible for osteoporosis through the generation of the PTH in high amounts. The situation whereby the body generates the PTH in elevated amounts is known as the hyperthyroid disease. This is the condition which is directly responsible for the weak bones reported.

Blowing up a Blood Pressure Cuff after a Thyroid Surgery

            It seems strange that after a thyroid surgery a nurse will engage in the process of blowing up a blood pressure cuff. Despite this, it is evident that this is a necessary and a fundamental move, particularly as a thyroid surgical process. The process of blowing up the blood pressure cuff is effective since it enables the nurses to monitor if the patient is experiencing any form of complications after the surgical process is carried out. Zhang, An, Liu, Li, Tang and Xu (2015) mention that blowing up the blood pressure cuff is effective in that it can easily establish any form of complication that the patient is likely to experience after the surgical process. As a result, it becomes easy to detect and schedule the right treatment process before the situation worsens. Zhang et al. (2015) state that during the thyroid surgical process, the likelihood that the parathyroid gland may be injured in the process is elevated. This is based on the fact that the parathyroid glands are at a proximity to the thyroid.  With the parathyroid gland injured, the amount of calcium present in the blood declines. This situation causes the muscles and the muscles to be ineffective in that the two will not only be crampy but also jumpy. According to Zhang et al. (2015), the level of calcium in the blood has the potential of declining in the events whereby the parathyroid glands become affected. With the blood pressure cuff, it becomes easy to identify the events whereby the amount of calcium in the blood drop to a level lower than expected. Therefore, the cuffs makes it possible for the nurses to identify the situation when it is still at the early phases making it possible to implement the relevant treatment measures for an improved outcome.