Which disease is characterized by impaired insulin production leading to high blood glucose?

• A. Diabetes
• B. Hypertension
• C. Anemia
• D. Pneumonia

Answer: (A)

This question tests how insulin and blood glucose are connected in disease. Insulin is the hormone that helps glucose move from the blood into body cells. When insulin production is impaired or the body's cells don’t respond to it well, glucose stays in the blood, causing high blood glucose. That pattern is the hallmark of diabetes, whether due to little or no insulin production (as in some types of Type 1) or due to insulin resistance with gradual decline in insulin production (as in Type 2). Common signs include increased thirst, more urination, and fatigue, and diagnosis is based on blood glucose tests like fasting glucose or HbA1c. Management focuses on lifestyle changes and medications that improve insulin action or replace insulin.

Hypertension, anemia, and pneumonia are not defined by problems with insulin production or elevated blood glucose, so they don’t fit the situation described.