Ketoacidosis is caused by insulin deficiency, simultaneous increase in insulin-antagonistic hormone secretion and the inefficiency of insulin resulting from hyperglycaemia.
In the case of insulin deficiency, muscles are unable to use the sugar in the blood as energy, and the sugar is not stored in the muscles, liver or fatty tissue. The cells receive energy from the fatty acids released by the fatty tissue. In insulin deficiency, liver also produces a lot of sugar for blood, increasing the blood sugar level even if nothing had been eaten. As a result of burning a lot of fatty acids, acid metabolic products, ketones, build up in your system.
Ketones include beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone. They are strong acids. A high build-up of acids acidifies the blood, resulting in ketoacidosis. In English ketoacidosis is also known as diabetic ketacidosis or DKA. In a ketoacidosis, the blood ketone level is usually over 3 mmol/l and the blood acidity or pH is reduced.