Comprehension

There are two types of diabetes, insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent. Between 90–95% of the estimated 13–14 million people in the United States with diabetes have non-insulin-dependent, or Type II, diabetes. Because this form of diabetes usually begins in adults over the age of 40 and is most common after the age of 55, it used to be called adult-onset diabetes. Its symptoms often develop gradually and are hard to identify at first; therefore, nearly half of all people with diabetes do not know they have it. For instance, someone who has developed Type II diabetes may feel tired or ill without knowing why. This can be particularly dangerous because untreated diabetes can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. While the causes, short-term effects, and treatments of the two types of diabetes differ, both types can cause the same long-term health problems.
Most importantly, both types affect the body's ability to use digested food for energy. Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but it does prevent the body from using an important product of digestion, glucose (commonly known as sugar), for energy. After a meal, the normal digestive system breaks some food down into glucose. The blood carries the glucose or sugar throughout the body, causing blood glucose levels to rise. In response to this rise, the hormone insulin is released into the bloodstream and signals the body tissues to metabolize or burn the glucose for fuel, which causes blood glucose levels to return to normal. The glucose that the body does not use right away is stored in the liver, muscle, or fat.
In both types of diabetes, however, this normal process malfunctions. A gland called the pancreas, found just behind the stomach, makes insulin. In people with insulin-dependent diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin at all. This condition usually begins in childhood and is known as Type I (formerly called juvenile-onset) diabetes. These patients must have daily insulin injections to survive. People with non-insulin-dependent diabetes usually produce some insulin in their pancreas, but their body tissues do not respond well to the insulin signal and, therefore, do not metabolize the glucose properly, a condition known as insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is an important factor in non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and scientists are searching for the causes of insulin resistance. They have identified two possibilities. The first is that there could be a defect in the insulin receptors on cells. Like an appliance that needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet, insulin has to bind to a receptor in order to function. Several things can go wrong with receptors. For example, there may not be enough receptors to which insulin may bind, or a defect in the receptors may prevent insulin from binding. The second possible cause of insulin resistance is that, although insulin may bind to the receptors, the cells do not read the signal to metabolize the glucose. Scientists continue to study these cells to see why this might happen.
There's no cure for diabetes yet. However, there are ways to alleviate its symptoms. The National Institute of Health panel of experts recommended that the best treatment for non-insulin-dependent diabetes is a diet that helps one maintain a normal weight and pays particular attention to a proper balance of the different food groups. Many experts, including those in the American Diabetes Association, recommend that 50–60% of daily calories come from carbohydrates, 12–20% from protein, and no more than 30% from fat. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates, like breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, break down into glucose during digestion, causing blood glucose to rise. Additionally, studies have shown that cooked foods raise blood glucose higher than raw, unpeeled foods. A doctor or nutritionist should always be consulted for more of this kind of information and for help in planning a diet to offset the effects of this form of diabetes.

Question: 1

According to the passage, what may be the most dangerous aspect of Type II diabetes?

Updated On: Aug 19, 2024
  • Insulin shots are needed daily for treatment of Type II diabetes
  • Type II diabetes may go undetected and, therefore, untreated
  • In Type II diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin
  • Type II diabetes interferes with digestion
  • There is no medicine for Type II diabetes
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (B): Type II diabetes may go undetected and, therefore, untreated
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Question: 2

Which of the following are the same for Type I and Type II diabetes?

Updated On: Jul 24, 2024
  • Treatments
  • Long-term health risks
  • Short-term effects
  • Causes
  • Side effects
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (B): Long-term health risks
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Question: 3

According to the passage, the organ in which excess glucose is stored is the

Updated On: Aug 19, 2024
  • Stomach
  • Insulin receptors
  • Pancreas
  • Liver
  • Heart
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (D): Liver
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Question: 4

Which of the following statements best summarizes the main theme of the passage?

Updated On: Jul 24, 2024
  • Type I and Type II diabetes are best treated by maintaining a high-protein diet
  • Type I and Type II diabetes are distinct conditions that can be managed by maintaining a healthy diet
  • Type I diabetes is an insidious condition most harmful when the patient is not taking daily insulin injections
  • Adults who suspect they may have Type II diabetes should immediately adopt a high-carbohydrate diet
  • Type I and Type II diabetes are best treated by maintaining a high-carbohydrate diet
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (B): Type I and Type II diabetes are distinct conditions that can be managed by maintaining a healthy diet
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Question: 5

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a possible problem with insulin receptors in insulin-resistant individuals?

Updated On: Aug 19, 2024
  • Overeating causes the receptors to function improperly
  • There may be an overabundance of receptors present
  • A defect causes the receptors to metabolize glucose
  • A defect hinders the receptors from binding with insulin
  • Excessive thirst
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (D): A defect hinders the receptors from binding with insulin
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Question: 6

According to the passage, in normal individuals, which of the following processes occur immediately after the digestive system converts some food into glucose?

Updated On: Jul 24, 2024
  • The glucose is metabolized by body tissues
  • Insulin is released into the bloodstream
  • Blood sugar levels rise
  • Excess urination
  • The pancreas manufactures decreased amounts of insulin
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (C): Blood sugar levels rise
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Question: 7

Based on the information in the passage, which of the following best describes people with Type I diabetes?

Updated On: Jul 24, 2024
  • They do not need to be treated with injections of insulin
  • They comprise the majority of people with diabetes
  • Their pancreas do not produce insulin
  • They are usually diagnosed as adults
  • This form of diabetes usually begins in adults over the age of 40 and is most common after the age of 55
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (C): Their pancreas do not produce insulin
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Question: 8

What is the closest meaning of the word offset in the passage?

Updated On: Jul 24, 2024
  • Counteract
  • Relieve
  • Soothe
  • Erase
  • Disprove
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (A): Counteract
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