How Does Diabetes Affect The Body

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the endocrine system, and occurs when your blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, is too high. Disease is a very common and serious disease that affects approximately 29.1 million people in the U.S., let alone the 86 million people that have prediabetes, without even noticing it, (MedicineNet.com). To understand diabetes, it is important to understand the role of insulin and glucose in the body. Glucose, or sugar, is an important source of energy for the cells that comes directly from the food that is consumed. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulates blood sugar levels and enable glucose to enter the cells for energy. When a person has diabetes, the food they ingest turns into glucose; however,
Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, is the most severe type of diabetes, and typically more likely to develop in children and teenagers, under the age of 20. Type 1 diabetes occurs because the body cannot make insulin at all, since the beta cells, or insulin-producing cells, are destroyed by the immune system. With type 1, the body is not capable to produce insulin; consequently, insulin injections are necessary to control blood glucose. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and occurs when the body cannot produce or use insulin properly. Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes is more likely to develop in adults of 45 years and older. When a person suffers from type 2 diabetes, the insulin that the body makes, is not enough for the glucose to enter the body’s cells to be used as energy. Lastly, gestational diabetes occurs hormonal changes cause high levels of blood sugar, during pregnancy. After pregnancy, the high blood sugar levels, usually return to normal; however, there is a higher risk to develop type 2 later on, if not careful. It is also possible to develop prediabetes, which means that the blood glucose is higher than normal, but it’s still not considered to be
Many scientists strongly believe that type 1 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as viruses, (NIH Diabetes). Similarly, type 2 diabetes is caused by genetic factors, but it also includes lifestyle factors. Factors such as overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity can significantly be the causative of diabetes in the long run. Studies have found that obese people have higher risk of having type 2 diabetes, because the extra body fat can cause insulin resistance and heart and blood vessel diabetes. Insulin resistance is when the muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin properly, in order to help glucose, enter cells. The family history and genes can also affect the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. It is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, if the disease runs in the family. There are many other risk factors that might cause diabetes, such as: pregnancy, age, poor diet, lack of exercise, and ethnicity. For example, the risk of getting type 2 diabetes increases, once a person hits 45 years of age, because of the reduced amount of exercise and muscle mass. Unhealthy meals high in cholesterol and calories increases the body’s resistance to insulin, and increase the chances of type 2 diabetes (HEALTHLINE). It is even believed that certain ethnic groups such as: African Americans, Native