Health Network News

Science does not have an answer as to why the pancreas stops making insulin, or why when it is produced the body is resistant to it. We do know that a mutant gene handed down from long ago ancestors may be responsible. Other possible causes include:

Genetics, Obesity/potbelly, Stress, Physical inactivity, Pancreatic infections, Elevated Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

It is interesting to note that the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes are both one in the same.

Diabetes is due to insulin that is either insufficient or ineffective leading to increased blood glucose levels. This leads to symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst). Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. When glucose levels are elevated, insulin changes glucose into energy that the body can use for fuel.

How the body reacts to insufficient insulin:

When insulin is produced but the body fails to use it appropriately, it is said the body is resistant to insulin. A second reaction is when the body does not produce enough insulin to change glucose into energy. In both cases the insulin is inefficient and causes blood glucose levels to rise in the blood.

Can it be cured?

Unfortunately there is at present no cure. However, scientists and physicians are exploring many new, exciting, experimental procedures which have shown a very positive success rate. These new procedures include;

Pancreatic Transplant: Anyone having Type 1 DM diabetes which could not be controlled and was given this procedure experienced the ability to dispel the need for insulin injections as well as decreasing the risk factors that this type of diabetes caused.

Kidney/Pancreas Transplant: Reserved for patients who have substantial kidney failure as well as uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes. This surgical procedure allows the patient to be free of dialysis treatments and insulin injections. Patients who avoid rejecting their organs in the first year after surgery have a greater likelihood of non-rejection for 10 years and more.

Islet Transplantation: First, let’s explain islets. Islets of Langerhans are beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. In this procedure, islets are extracted from a deceased donor and injected into the liver of a diabetic patient. After injection, these beta cells begin to produce insulin which the body then uses to regulate blood sugar levels.

Five out of thirty-six patients who received islet transplant surgery remain insulin injection free two years after the procedure. All of these surgeries are experimental and require further study as they are not yet approved by the FDA. However, their positive results bring new hope to fighting this deadly disease.

The search for better treatments and a cure for diabetes are on-going, and it is hoped that a cure will present itself in the very near future. But until then, lifestyle changes will help those who are living with diabetes to live a long and productive life in spite of having the disease.