儿童糖尿病的中西医病因及治疗

The Etiology and treatment of Childhood Diabetes in Chinese and Western Medicine

糖尿病是一种以高血糖为特征的代谢性疾病,它是由胰岛素分泌障碍和(或)胰岛素功能缺陷引起。慢性高血糖可能造成眼、肾、神经、心脏及血管等多器官的损害,甚至功能衰竭。在全世界,超过90%的儿童及青少年起病的糖尿病为1型糖尿病,而中国儿童1型糖尿病的发病率正逐年上升。在西方医学的范畴中,儿童糖尿病患者需要终生依赖注射胰岛素治疗以维持其生命,并防止远期血管性并发症的发生。

Diabetes is a metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia, which is caused by insulin secretion deficiency and/or functional defects. Chronic hyperglycemia could cause damage to multiple organs such as eye,kidney, nerve, heart and blood vessels, and moreover even organ failure. Throughout the world, more than 90% of children and youngonset diabetes are type 1 diabete mellitus （T1DM）, while the incidence of childhood T1DM is increasing. In the context of West-ern medicine, children with diabetes require lifelong insulin injections to maintain their lives and to prevent long-term vascular complications. In this paper, we discuss the metabolic process of plasma glucose and insulin, the pathophysio-logical mechanisms of diabetes and its complications. By comparison between the prognoses of different treatment with Chinese or Western medicine, we are intended to provide that traditional Chinese medicine can cure childhood diabetes.