Question

Which of the following best describes the causes and pathology of diabetes mellitus?

A. Diabetes mellitus is primarily caused by genetic factors and is characterized by a lack of insulin production by the pancreas, leading to high blood glucose levels.
B. Diabetes mellitus results from both genetic and lifestyle factors, leading to insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, causing elevated blood glucose levels.
C. Diabetes mellitus is mainly caused by dietary factors and is characterized by overproduction of insulin, leading to low blood glucose levels.
D. Diabetes mellitus is solely caused by lifestyle factors, such as excessive sugar consumption, and is characterized by a surplus of insulin production.
E. Diabetes mellitus is primarily caused by autoimmune factors and is characterized by the pancreas's inability to produce adequate insulin, leading to low blood glucose levels.

Answer 1

Diabetes mellitus is caused by a mix of genetic and lifestyle factors that lead to insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, with Type 1 being an autoimmune disease destroying beta cells and Type 2 involving insulin resistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The causes and pathology of diabetes mellitus are best described in option B. Specifically, diabetes mellitus results from a combination of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors, which collectively lead to insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. These dysfunctions result in elevated blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia. In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system erroneously attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, making it an autoimmune disorder. This leads to a deficiency of insulin.

Conversely, Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for about 90 percent of diabetes cases, typically involves insulin resistance where the body's cells do not respond effectively to insulin, compounded by a later decrease in insulin production. Management of Type 2 diabetes often involves lifestyle changes, medication, and sometimes insulin therapy to control blood glucose levels.