Diabetes Causes & Types

It is the inability to regulate blood glucose levels that causes Diabetes Mellitus. As a result of the inability to control blood glucose, hyperglycaemia sets in, that is, blood glucose reaches high levels. In such situations, excess glucose cannot be reabsorbed by the kidneys.

Under normal circumstances, glucose is not supposed to be found in the urine. The high glucose levels, however, leads to glucose "spilling over" into the urine. When glucose infiltrates the urine, the osmotic balance in the kidneys is altered, making them unable to resorb water (hence, excessive urine or polyuria). The excess glucose gives the urine its sweetish flavour.

Common Types of Diabetes

There are two common types of diabetes mellitus: Type I (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or IDDM) and Type II (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or NIDDM). In Type I, the beta cells in the pancreatic islets (Islets of Langerhans) are destroyed by the auto-immune system, leading to inadequate insulin production and secretion. To control their blood sugar level, Type I diabetes patients have to self-administer insulin injections regularly.

In Type II diabetes mellitus, patients continue to manufacture insulin because no beta-cell destruction is involved. People with Type II diabetes mellitus may actually have normal or increased insulin levels; however, the target cells no longer respond to insulin because the insulin receptors have been destroyed or the intracellular response to insulin has been lost.

The underlying cause of both types of diabetes remains elusive. It seems, however, that genetic and environmental components are some of the contributing factors.

Necessity of Blood Glucose Level Control

Regardless of the type, it is absolutely necessary for patients with diabetes mellitus to control their blood glucose levels. Failure to do this will lead to pathologic changes in the nerves, blood vessels, and kidneys. Over time, the body may lose the ability to heal wounds in the extremities, especially the toes (sometimes requiring surgical amputation), loss of sensation, loss of vision, and, in worse cases, renal dialysis or need for transplants.

The changes have a great impact on a patient’s quality of life, and they can be life threatening if left unattended. In the United States, diabetes mellitus has become the sixth leading cause of death.

Diabetes Treatment

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Information On How You Can Manage & Control Diabetes