What Causes Diabetes?

If people have been diagnosed with diabetes, or they fear about developing diabetes, they may want to know what actually causes it. There was a time when nobody knew what actually cause diabetes, but after years of research, people do now know what causes diabetes, and in many cases, how to prevent it.

The leading cause of the disease of blood sugar was once thought to be inheriting it through the blood lines. This condition is still a major cause of diabetes, but no longer the leading cause. If someone in the same blood line has diabetes particularly in the direct blood line of the generation, the offspring are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. However, the leading cause of the disease is being overweight. When people are overweight, their body becomes more resistant to insulin. This is particularly true if the BMI, or Body Mass Index, is greater than 30%. If people do not know their BMI, may measure their waist. If they are female and their waist is bigger than 35 inches, or if they are male and their waist is bigger than 40 inches, they are at risk of developing diabetes.

Whether people are overweight or not, eating a poor diet is a primal cause of diabetes. The diet should be rich in protein and fiber, and if it is not, they are at risk. Leading an extremely sedentary lifestyle is also a factor. People need to be exercising at least three times a week, for 30 minutes each time, and preferably 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Recent studies have discovered that infections, such as strephylococci bacterium, can also lead to diabetes. Age is also being blamed for the disease as well. As people get older, their chances of developing diabetes increase. Also just as diabetes can commonly lead to high blood pressure, suffering from hypertension can lead to diabetes. There are also numerous anti diabetic drugs available that can actually aid in the development of diabetes, such as Olanzapine, Clozapine, Risperidone, Ziprasidone, and Quetiapine.

If any of these common situations apply to anyone, they should get tested for diabetes. People should also take steps to make lifestyle changes to strongly avoid the development of diabetes. Type-1 diabetes is said to be autoimmune disease that has a small genetic link, tending to be more commonly found in men. Type 1 diabetes normally develops when the cells and tissues inside the pancreas that are supposed to produce insulin are attacked by the immune system, causing the body to function with an insulin deficiency. Certain bacterial or viral infections contracted during childhood or youth can be severe enough to cause this immune system malfunction.

Type-2 diabetes is normally caused by a genetic predilection toward the disease, which means that parents may pass the gene that causes type-2 diabetes onto their children. It is possible to reduce the physical complications that arise from type 2 diabetes, or even postpone its onset indefinitely, by making healthy lifestyle choices that prevent the disease from actually developing.

• Matt Thompson
• 20/01/2009, 10:59 AM
• 0 Comments