Causes Of Different Types Of Diabetes

Causes Of Different Types Of Diabetes

Diabetes is defined as being “a group of related metabolic diseases whose common feature is hyperglycemia, an elevated level of glucose in the blood”. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 250 million people in the world that have some form of diabetes. Diabetes is generally caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin and/or the body’s resistance to the insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar by transferring glucose from the blood to other parts of the body, like the muscles, to be used as fuel for cells. In understanding diabetes, one should know the causes of the three major types of diabetes: diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is also known as “insulin-dependent diabetes” and “juvenile-onset diabetes”. Although it usually starts in children, the disease can begin in adulthood. Bodies afflicted with type 1 diabetes cannot make enough insulin or the cells in the body can’t use it properly. The islet cells, which are the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, are destroyed by an autoimmune reaction. This may be because there are islet cell antibodies in the person’s bloodstream. However, the reason for the immune system’s rejection of islet cells and other functions of the pancreas is unknown. Some researchers believed it is caused by toxic chemical triggers or infectious agents like the mumps virus and coxsackievirus. Type 1 diabetes is also believed to be a polygenic disorder and is influenced by various genetic factors.
Another type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. It is also known as “non-insulin dependent diabetes” and “adult-onset diabetes”. Type 2 is more common than type 1, with 85-95% of diabetics in the United States being afflicted by it. In this case, the afflicted body is resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas. The sugar does not reach the cells to be used as energy. When this happens, there is a...