Causes Of Diabetes Mellitus

Studies on diabetes mellitus are increasing all the time. Despite these studies and surveys no one could actually know what specifically causes the disease diabetes mellitus. This disease has led to a number of rumors circulating some which are partially true and others which hold no such truth at all. Type-1 diabetes mellitus, or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM), is actually a disease characterized by auto-destruction of the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. With the process body silently destroys these pancreatic cells creating an insulin deficiency.

Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus appears to stem from an inherited disorder in the immune system, triggered by some environmental stimuli. The actual cause of the disease Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus is still unknown; however, scientists have isolated a few factors that may be related to development of the disease. Most of the people know that diabetes mellitus develops as a result of the insufficiency of insulin, which is a hormone that helps convert blood glucose into energy. This is usually because the pancreas fails to generate enough amount of insulin or because the cells of the body start to resist insulin. Although people know what leads to the development of Diabetes Mellitus they do not currently know why this happens in certain individuals and not others.

Also people do not know the exact causes of Gestational Diabetes although it is strongly linked with hormonal changes that occur during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. During this condition the placenta releases hormones which block the normal action of insulin hormone to ensure that the growing baby gets enough glucose. This type of diabetes causes pregnant women's insulin needs to increase by two or three times the normal rate. Failure to meet this insulin need leads to the onset of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Around 5% of pregnant women develop Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and although people have a good idea of what causes it, they do not know why it affects certain women and not others. There are a number of associated risk factors in this disease but currently no definitive reason.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is caused by damage to the pancreas as the result of an auto-immune attack where the immune system of the body starts to attack the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas. Whilst most of the people know what actually causes type-1 diabetes they are still unsure what triggers this response. A number of medical suggestions have been put forward including viral infections and faulty nerves, but currently none of these suggestions can be applied universally. Pre-diabetes is an early form of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the causes of each are very similar. Type-2 diabetes mellitus develops when the body stops responding to insulin hormone. The pancreas cells reacts by producing additional insulin hormone and the liver responds by releasing extra glucose. Over the time this condition limits the effectiveness of the pancreas and further increases insulin resistance in the body. As with the other types of diabetes mellitus people do not know what actually causes the above reaction. There is very strong evidence that type 2 diabetes mellitus is linked to family history, age, ethnicity, inactivity and obesity.

• John Palsson
• 19/01/2009, 10:59 PM
• 0 Comments