What disease is characterized by the body's inability to obtain sugar from the blood?

Diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to effectively utilize glucose, which is a primary sugar in the blood. In this condition, either the body does not produce enough insulin, a hormone necessary for facilitating the uptake of glucose by cells, or the cells become resistant to insulin's effects. As a result, blood sugar levels remain elevated, leading to a variety of health complications if left unmanaged.

This disorder can manifest in two main types: Type 1 diabetes, where the pancreas produces little or no insulin, and Type 2 diabetes, where the body's cells become resistant to insulin's effects. Hence, individuals with diabetes struggle with maintaining normal blood sugar levels, highlighting the disease's core characteristic of being unable to obtain sugar adequately from the blood for energy and functioning.

In contrast, hypertension refers to high blood pressure, insulin resistance is a condition that can lead to Type 2 diabetes but does not fully encapsulate the disease itself, and obesity is a condition associated with excess body fat that can contribute to the development of diabetes but is not defined by blood sugar management.