What is “Ketoacidosis”?
February 5th, 2010 by admin
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With the news today that the Los Angeles County Coroner has ruled the death of 30-year-old socialite Casey Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, was due to “diabetic complications,” specifically ketoacidosis, you might be wondering: just what is “ketoacidosis.”
The American Diabetes Association has this to say:
Ketoacidosis (key-toe-ass-i-DOE-sis) is a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma (passing out for a long time) or even death. When your cells don’t get the glucose they need for energy, your body begins to burn fat for energy, which produces ketones. Ketones are acids that build up in the blood and appear in the urine when your body doesn’t have enough insulin. They are a warning sign that your diabetes is out of control or that you are getting sick. High levels of ketones can poison the body. When levels get too high, you can develop diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA.
(Click the above paragraph for full description.)
Ketoacidosis occurs primarily in those with type-1 and, while rare, it does occur in those with type-2.
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Posted in Diabetes
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