Insulin – Effect
Insulin acts by binding to special protein complexes on the surface of the liver, muscles and fat, the so-called insulin receptors. This triggers a signaling cascade within the cells of the organs, which influences the glucose metabolism via the following mechanisms: Insulin is administered as a drug to treat diabetes mellitus.
- Acceleration of glucose uptake in muscle and fat cells
- Promotes the storage of glucose in liver and muscle (glucose is stored as so-called glycogen)
- Increase of fat synthesis in liver and fatty tissue
- Inhibition of the liver’s own production of glucose
- Inhibition of the release of stored glucose from glycogen (glycogenolysis).
There are several ways to diagnose diabetes, which are used for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
First of all, the blood sugar level should be measured, which in a fasting state should normally be below 110 mg/dl. If it is higher than 126 mg/dl, diabetes is present. There are also various laboratory tests available.
First of all, the measurement of HbA1c. This is a value that affects the haemoglobin, the red pigment of the blood cells. Normally only a very small part of the hemoglobin is associated with glucose.
If there is an excess of sugar in the blood, as is the case with diabetes, this proportion is significantly higher than the normal 4-6% of hemoglobin. Since this value reflects the blood sugar level of the last weeks, it is not only a good way to diagnose, but also to check if a therapy of diabetes is successful. If it is within the normal range, the occurrence of consequential damage is rather unlikely.
In addition, there is also the measurement of sugar or ketone bodies in the urine, which should be below a certain level in healthy individuals. To determine the body’s own insulin production, the so-called C-peptide can be measured in the blood. This is always released by the pancreas in the same quantity as insulin, which allows us to deduce its release.
