Causes of Diabetes

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diabetes
diabetes

What Are The Causes Of Diabetes?

The causes of diabetes vary according to the type of diabetes. The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes when it comes to what causes diabetes is that the former does not produce insulin at all while on the other hand, the latter produces insulin but makes it less effective because of resistance.

Mostly, people who develop Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) are oftentimes healthy individuals. IDDM usually occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the beta cells which are the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This process is called “autoimmune response”. The cause of diabetes of this type is not yet fully understood but it is often believed to be caused by immunological origin and also it is believed that one’s diet plays a vital role in the development of this type of diabetes.

Researchers also believed that what causes diabetes can either be link to our genetic and environment. Genetic cause in the sense that several genes can contribute to the development of Type 1 diabetes mellitus and these genes can either be dominant, recessive or can be in between. Dominant gene is a gene whose effects is shown in a person whether or not its allele is the same or different while on the other hand, recessive describes a gene whose effect is shown in the person only when its allele is the same. Although at times, family history of type 1 diabetes doesn’t always mean that way, sometimes it can also develop even when you have no family history. On the other hand, Environmental causes of diabetes such as previous exposure to a certain foods or viruses might also trigger the said autoimmune response.

For type 2 diabetes or Non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIIDM), it is caused mainly by the pancreas in which it retains its ability to produce insulin for the body but in turn it is inadequate for the body’s needs, instead the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. Since type 2 diabetes often run in families, it is can also be called the “adult-onset diabetes). The cause of this type can also be due to Obesity wherein insulin resistance happens when a person is obese because excessive amount of fat in the body can make the cells difficult to react to insulin. Also, being in a obese state, it can make you inactive and lead a sedentary lifestyle which in turn further reduces the ability of the body to respond to insulin. Other causes of type 2 diabetes include weight gain, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and smoking.

A person can also have diabetes when she is pregnant, this is called “gestational or pregnancy induced diabetes”. As claimed by researchers, diabetes cause of this type of diabetes is when a pregnant woman in very stressed due to the development of the growing fetus inside her. For some, after pregnancy the woman usually develops type 2 diabetes while for others, they develop type 1. The cause of gestational diabetes has not been fully understood but it is claimed by researchers that the hormones during pregnancy increases the pregnant woman’s resistance to insulin which in turn results to an impaired glucose tolerance.

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