The blood glucose concentration of the body is monitored and controlled by the Pancreas. The Pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which increases the body’s cells uptake of glucose from the blood. However; sometimes a person is unable to regulate the concentration of glucose in their blood because their Pancreas does not produce the right amount of insulin. This is called Diabetes.
Causes of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes occurs by the pancreas not being able to produce enough insulin meaning blood glucose levels can rise to dangerously high levels. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. This means that your immune system treats the cells in your pancreas as if they were pathogens or foreign cells. The immune system attacks them destroying them completely or damaging them enough to stop the cells from producing sufficient insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually inherited, so the autoimmune reaction may also be genetic. A close relative, such as a parent, sister or brother with type 1 diabetes, means there is a chance that a person may develop the condition as well during childhood. It’s not known what triggers the immune system to behave in this manner, but researches have suggested that it may be from a viral infection.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin and the body does not respond to the insulin, resulting in high blood glucose levels. It usually develops in later life and is more likely to arise because of obesity or poor diet. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases with age. Genetics is one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Your risk is increased if you have a close relative, such as a parent, brother or sister who has the condition. The closer the relative, the greater the risk. Ethnicity can also affect the probability of developing type 2 diabetes. People of South Asian, African, African-Caribbean and Middle Eastern descent are more likely to develop type 2