Diabetes is a health condition characterized by extremely high levels of glucose in the blood circulation system. The body is therefore unable to deal with the high amount of glucose causing this chronic disease. There are two major forms of diabetes; Type 1 Diabetes (also known as Juvenile diabetes because it mainly affects children) and Type 2 Diabetes (also known as diabetes mellitus, or adult-onset diabetes). The Canadian Diabetic Association1 describes Type 1 Diabetes as a disease in which the body’s defense system attacks insulin by mistake. Type 2 Diabetes is a disease in which your beta cells do not produce enough insulin or your body does not properly use the insulin made. If you have Type 2 Diabetes, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy1. These two forms of diabetes are life-long conditions. There is another form of diabetes known as gestational diabetes, which only occurs during pregnancy. However, the conditions usually resolve once a mother gives birth. Other types of diabetes include diabetes insipidus, diabetes MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes for the Young), and diabetes LADA (Latent Autoimmune Disease of Adulthood) 2. The purpose of the research paper is to determine the causes of diabetes.
Causes of diabetes vary depending on genetic makeup, family history, ethnicity, health, and environmental factors2. Type I diabetes is caused by the immune system when it destroys cells in the pancreas that are responsible for manufacturing insulin. This causes diabetes since the body has been left without enough insulin to function normally. This is called an autoimmune reaction or autoimmune cause because the body is attacking itself. Other factors involved and which may trigger Type I Diabetes include viral or bacterial infection, chemical toxins within food, and unidentified components, causing autoimmune reaction. Additionally, underlying genetic disposition may be responsible for causing Type 1 Diabetes2. This type of diabetes is predisposed to children and is thus sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes.
In the case of Type 2 Diabetes, the risk factors that predispose one to the disease are; a family history of diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure1. Additionally, Type 2 Diabetes is most commonly diagnosed after age 40. As people grow older, their risk of Type 2 Diabetes increases, and a simple blood test is recommended for everyone once they reach this age1. According to The Global Diabetic Community2, there are several causes of Type 2 Diabetes. A family history of diabetes is the most likely cause of diabetes mellitus. Type 2 Diabetes is commonly referred to as a lifestyle disease. This is because some risk factors that predispose one to the disease are tied to one’s lifestyle. They include unhealthy eating habits that result in obesity and lack of exercise. Causes of gestational diabetes include; a family history of gestational diabetes, being overweight, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Causes of gestational diabetes may also be related to ethnicity. Diabetes insipidus is caused by disruption of the body fluid control system and is characterized by frequent urination. Diabetes MODY is a type of diabetes whose occurrence is highly linked to inheritance in comparison with other forms of diabetes. Diabetes LADA has some similarities to Diabetes Type 2 and is caused by hyperglycemia and autoimmune disease. There are a variety of other potential causes of diabetes. These include pancreatitis, which affects the pancreas that produces insulin, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is obesity-linked insulin resistance and affects the ovaries. Other causes include Cushing’s syndrome, which causes increased production of cortisol hormone that serves to increase blood glucose levels and hence diabetes, glucagonoma, which is an imbalance between insulin production and glucagon production, and hence diabetes occurs; and prolonged use of glucocorticoid therapy which causes steroid-induced diabetes3.
There are three major symptoms of diabetes. First, there is polyuria which is the need to urinate frequently. Secondly, we have is polydipsia which is increased thirst and fluid intake. Lastly, we have is polyphagia which is increased appetite. In Type 1 Diabetes, the symptoms develop quickly. On the other hand, symptoms develop slowly in the case of Type 2 Diabetes. Other major symptoms of diabetes include blurred vision due to increased glucose absorption, thereby changing the shape of the eye lens, and diabetic ketoacidosis, which is the presence of ketone bodies in the blood stream2.
Treatment for diabetes treatment is extremely vital because lack of treatment leads to other complications, which in combination with diabetes, are fatal. Type 1 Diabetes is due to a lack of insulin production, and this makes it tricky to treat the condition.
Treatment requires a balanced diet, physical activity, blood glucose testing, and insulin injections. Being physically active, maintaining a constant weight, and eating a healthy diet are other ways to treat Type 1 Diabetes. Similarly, in Type 2 Diabetes, treatment includes diet control and modification and staying physically active. In this type of diabetes, medication can also be given orally2. In both types, there should be regular testing to check blood glucose levels.
In conclusion, the causes of diabetes are varied, but the main ones are genetic predisposition and lifestyle.
Reference List
Canadian Diabetic Association. Biology of Diabetes [internet]. 2011. Web.
The global diabetic community. Causes of Diabetes [internet]. 2011. Web.
Medical News Today. All about diabetes [internet]. 2004-2011. Web.