About Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease involving the failed production or the failed use of insulin in the body. Insulin is a hormone produced by the islet cells of the pancreas, essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates (sugars), the basic fuel for cells throughout the body.

• In Type 1 diabetes, the body fails to produce insulin as a result of an autoimmune response in which the immune system does not recognize its own islet cells and destroys them. This type of diabetes generally occurs in people under the age of 40 and is most commonly acquired during childhood. Type 1 diabetes is treated by insulin injections and diet.

• “Type 2” diabetes is the most common form of diabetes (90-95% of diabetes patients). It is also referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes and presents as high blood glucose levels despite an initial abundance of the hormone insulin. The cells of the body ignore the insulin and do not allow glucose to enter the body's cells. This insulin resistance leads to high levels of glucose in the bloodstream, and eventually to beta-cell failure, where the beta cells of the pancreas are no longer able to release insulin in response to high blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes usually appears in those over 40, and is treated by diet alone, or by diet and oral medications.

The following are common complications associated with diabetes:

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)

• Ketoacidosis -- A serious condition due to the buildup of ketones in the body; it can lead to diabetic coma or death

• Heart disease and stroke – Two out of three diabetes patients die from heart disease or stroke.

• Kidney disease – High levels of blood sugar cause the kidneys to filter larger amounts of blood, and over time, the kidneys can become damaged from this rigorous usage. As a result, useful proteins that the kidney's filtering system usually retains in the blood are lost in urine, resulting in microalubminuria or macroalbuminuria just before end-stage renal disease.

• Eye complications (diabetic retinopathy) – Those with diabetes are 40% more likely to develop glaucoma (pressure buildup in the eye, which pinches the blood vessels that carry blood to the retina and optic nerve, leading to vision impairment). Those with diabetes are 60% more likely to develop cataracts (a condition where a film clouds over the eye's clear lens, blocking light).

Islet Cells

Islet cells or Islets of Langerhans are vascularized clusters of cells within the pancreas which contain the insulin-producing beta cells. There are three types of islet cells: beta cells, which produce insulin; alpha cells, which produce glucagon, a homrone that raises the level of blood glucose; delta cells, which produce somatostatin, an enzyme believed to regulate insulin and glucagon production.

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