DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas, an organ behind your stomach that produces the hormone insulin. Insulin helps the body use food for energy. When a person has diabetes, the pancreas either cannot produce enough insulin, uses the insulin incorrectly, or both. Insulin works together with glucose in the bloodstream to help it enter the body's cells to be burned for energy. If the insulin isn't functioning properly, glucose cannot enter the cells. This causes glucose levels in the blood to rise, creating a condition of high blood sugar or diabetes, and leaving the cells without fuel.

The following factors may increase your chance of getting diabetes:

• Family history of diabetes or inherited tendency
• African-American, Hispanic or Native American race or ethnic background
• Obesity (being 20 percent or more over your desired body weight)
• Physical stress (such as surgery or illness)
• Use of certain medications
• Injury to pancreas (such as infection, tumor, surgery or accident)
• Autoimmune disease
• Hypertension
• Abnormal blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels
• Age (risk increases with age)
• Alcohol (risk increases with years of heavy alcohol use)
• Smoking

LEUKIMIA

Leukemia is a word that frightens many people. In the past, most people with leukemia didn't survive. Today many people do. As research continues, more and better treatments become available.
What is leukemia?Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. Both children and adults can get leukemia. In everyone's blood there are three types of cells: red blood cells, which carry energy to all parts of the body; platelets, which help clot our blood if we get cut or injured; and white blood cells, which mainly fight infection.
There are different types of leukemia. In most types, the white blood cells are sick and grow out of control. In other types, the red blood cells or platelets are damaged. If leukemia develops quickly, it is called "acute" leukemia. If it develops slowly, it is called "chronic" leukemia.
With this illness, organs where blood cells are formed can also be swollen and tender. These organs include our bones, our spleen (found in the upper abdomen), and our lymph glands (found in our neck, groin, underarms, and elsewhere).
While the cause of leukemia is unknown, it might be related to exposure to dangerous chemicals or radiation. Leukemia cannot be passed from one person to another.
What are the symptoms of leukemia?Symptoms of leukemia include:
Feeling weak or tired all the time
Fever lasting more than one to two weeks
Pain in the bones or joints
Easy bleeding or bruising for no reason
Losing weight when not trying to lose weight
Swelling of the lymph glands in the neck, groin, or underarm areas
Getting many infections
Sweating at night
What are the types of leukemia?There are many different types of leukemia. The most common types are listed below. Each of these types harms white blood cells:
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) - This type is found mostly in children, but it also can occur in adults over 65 years of age.
Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) - This type is found in children and adults.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - This type is found mainly in adults over 55 years of age.
Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML)- This type is found mostly in adults, but it can also occur in children.
How can I know if I have leukemia?A person with acute leukemia will get sudden and severe symptoms. Often, these symptoms signal a problem. Chronic leukemia can be more difficult to notice. Chronic leukemia is often found after a regular physical exam.
Your doctor can confirm leukemia by taking a sample of blood for testing. The blood is viewed under a microscope and the blood cells examined. A blood test alone cannot pinpoint the type of leukemia. Samples of bone marrow or bone tissue might be needed. Bone marrow samples are collected by inserting a needle into a large bone, such as the hip. If leukemia cells are found in the bone marrow, further tests might be needed.
How is leukemia treated?There are many different treatments for leukemia. Treatment depends on many factors, including the type of leukemia, your age, gender, and health status. Since there are now more than 30 drugs used to treat leukemia, specially trained doctors often help develop a treatment plan. Treatment usually involves:
Chemotherapy (drugs used to kill cancer cells) - One or more drugs might be used during chemotherapy. Some of these drugs are taken by the mouth and others are given as shots or as injections into veins (intravenously).
X-rays (also called "radiation therapy") - Radiation therapy might be used to stop leukemia cells from growing.
Bone marrow transplants (BMT) - Diseased bone marrow is replaced with healthy bone marrow after chemotherapy or radiation is used to destroy the diseased bone marrow.
Can leukemia be cured?Treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelocytic leukemia focuses on curing the disease. In many cases, these types of leukemia can be cured. If the patient lives five years free of the disease, he or she is considered cured.
Treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelocytic leukemia focuses on slowing the progress of the disease and preventing symptoms from reoccurring. Some people with CLL and CML live many years free of symptoms.