Diabetes Pathophysiology & Types Flashcards
7 cards from real Diabetes practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Diabetes Pathophysiology & Types flashcards as text
Which hormone secreted by alpha cells DIRECTLY opposes insulin action and is abnormally elevated in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
Answer: Glucagon
Glucagon secreted by pancreatic alpha cells stimulates hepatic glucose production and is inappropriately elevated in both types of diabetes, worsening hyperglycemia.
The 'incretin effect' is significantly reduced in Type 2 diabetes. Which incretins are primarily involved?
Answer: GLP-1 and GIP
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) are the two main incretins whose reduced effect contributes to impaired postprandial insulin secretion in Type 2 diabetes.
Ketosis in Type 1 diabetes occurs primarily because:
Answer: Absence of insulin disinhibits lipolysis, flooding the liver with free fatty acids
Without insulin, adipose tissue lipolysis is uninhibited, releasing excessive free fatty acids that the liver converts to ketone bodies (acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate).
Which condition is characterized by severe insulin resistance due to mutations in the insulin receptor gene?
Answer: Donohue syndrome (Leprechaunism)
Donohue syndrome (Leprechaunism) is caused by homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the insulin receptor gene (INSR), resulting in extreme insulin resistance from birth.
The GLUT4 glucose transporter is unique compared to other glucose transporters because it:
Answer: Requires insulin signaling to translocate to the cell membrane
GLUT4 is insulin-responsive; insulin signaling causes GLUT4 vesicles to translocate from intracellular pools to the plasma membrane, enabling glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue.
Diabetes caused by chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy is classified as:
Answer: Diabetes of the exocrine pancreas (Type 3c)
Diabetes resulting from diseases of the exocrine pancreas (including chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and pancreatectomy) is classified as Type 3c or pancreatogenic diabetes.
In prediabetes, which metabolic abnormality is MOST predictive of progression to Type 2 diabetes?
Answer: Combined impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance
The combination of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) carries the highest risk of progression to Type 2 diabetes compared to either condition alone.