.
Second Stage: .
Eventually the pancreas becomes unable to produce enough insulin to overcome.
resistance. In type II diabetics, the first effects of this are usually an abnormal .
increase in blood glucose following a meal (referred to as postprandial .
hyperglycemia). These high levels of blood glucose are believed to be damaging .
to the body. .
Third Stage: .
The constant elevation of blood glucose further damages and possibly destroys beta cells resulting in the cessation of insulin production completely and causing full-blown diabetes. This stage is diagnosed when the patient has elevated blood glucose most of the time (referred to as fasting hyperglycemia). .
Without insulin, the body is unable to absorb glucose into cells which eventually leads to elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). The beta cell responsiveness towards the glucose stimulus decreases, contributing to the hyperglycemia. Some of the effects on the body of glucose toxicity include (Center for Disease Control on-line, 2002):.
• Cause impaired cell function/damage/starvation .
• >115 mg/dl is threshold for pancreas .
• >180 mg/dl is threshold for nerve cells .
• Eventually leads to hypoinsulinemia and other complications.
• Markers of elevated plasma insulin levels .
• Increase in serum triglycerides .
• Decrease in HDL (or "good") cholesterol.
If left untreated, high blood sugar may develop into ketoacidosis, which is a very serious condition that results from high levels of ketones in the blood and urine. Ketones are the waste/byproduct resulting from the process of converting fat into energy. If not treated quickly, ketoacidosis can result in diabetic coma and possibly death.
According to the World Health Organization, obesity is the most powerful risk factor for Type II diabetes and the risk is increased 10 times with severe obesity.