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What Causes Diabetes?

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Posted on Thu, 17 Mar 2016
Question: What causes diabetes?
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Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (24 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
About diabetes:

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome:

There are two types of diabetes - Type 1 and Type 2:

With Type 1, the pancreas no longer makes insulin. And supplemental insulin must be given to live. Without it, the body essentially starves because insulin is required to move sugar out of the blood stream and into cells where it is used for energy. Why the pancreas stops making insulin is thought to be due to the body's immune cells attacking the insulin making cells. This can be due to genetic causes or environmental causes, but it isn't entirely clear. People with Type 1 diabetes can live a healthy life by taking insulin and monitoring their sugar levels.

With Type 2 diabetes, usually the pancreas is still making insulin, but the body is, to varying degrees, resistant to that insulin. Obesity and lack of exercise are known to play a large role in this resistance, and changing lifestyle with more exercise and decreased weight reduces that resistance. In the "pre-diabetes" state, this resistance can sometimes be reversed. Type 2 diabetes also has some racial/genetic components and increases in likelihood with age. There are a variety of medications that help for Type 2 diabetes.

I hope this information answers your question. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.





Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1991

Answered : 3134 Questions

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What Causes Diabetes?

Brief Answer: About diabetes: Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome: There are two types of diabetes - Type 1 and Type 2: With Type 1, the pancreas no longer makes insulin. And supplemental insulin must be given to live. Without it, the body essentially starves because insulin is required to move sugar out of the blood stream and into cells where it is used for energy. Why the pancreas stops making insulin is thought to be due to the body's immune cells attacking the insulin making cells. This can be due to genetic causes or environmental causes, but it isn't entirely clear. People with Type 1 diabetes can live a healthy life by taking insulin and monitoring their sugar levels. With Type 2 diabetes, usually the pancreas is still making insulin, but the body is, to varying degrees, resistant to that insulin. Obesity and lack of exercise are known to play a large role in this resistance, and changing lifestyle with more exercise and decreased weight reduces that resistance. In the "pre-diabetes" state, this resistance can sometimes be reversed. Type 2 diabetes also has some racial/genetic components and increases in likelihood with age. There are a variety of medications that help for Type 2 diabetes. I hope this information answers your question. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.