Diabetes Information

Type I Diabetes: Insulin-Dependent Diabetes


Type I diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. This form of diabetes is mainly found in children. The primary problem in all forms of diabetes, regardless if it is Type I or Type II is that the glucose (sugar) levels of the body are too high.

In a healthy person, the beta cells in the pancreas produce a hormone called insulin in response to sugar in the blood. The sugar gets there through the food and drinks we consume. Normally, the insulin helps to move the sugar from the bloodstream and into the cells of the body where it can be used for cellular processes. The insulin triggers gates located in the membranes of the cells to open, allowing the sugar to flow in.

A person with Type I diabetes can not make enough or any insulin. This produces the abnormally high levels of glucose in the bloodstream seen in these patients.

The question begs to be asked, "Why doesn't the body produce insulin?" In Type I diabetes the culprit is the immune system. Something, whether it be genetic or environmental is still not clear, triggers the immune system to malfunction. Instead of viewing the beta cells of the pancreas as "self", the immune system sees the beta cells as foreign invaders. Doing what it's supposed to do, which is attack and destroy invading cells, the immune system in error attacks the beta cells.

Even though other beta cells can be produced by the pancreas, the speed at which the immune system attacks and destroys is too fast for the pancreas to keep up. Over time the amount of insulin produced in response to sugar in the blood is diminished.

The result is high blood sugar. Insulin shots can control the disease, however, there are currently treatments being studied which may actually stop the immune system from attacking itself which would bring about a natural halt to the problem.

Rachel Dayer runs and operates http://www.mustask.com, a health related portal.


MORE RESOURCES:

TVNZ

Genetic Screening for Diabetes No More Useful than Traditional Methods
eFluxMedia - 5 hours ago
By Anna Boyd Genetic testing to see someone’s predisposition to type 2 diabetes is not significantly better than an assessment based on traditional risk ...
Genetic Screening May ID Diabetes Risk WebMD
Gene testing for diabetes risk is not useful Los Angeles Times
Egg consumption may raise risk of type 2 diabetes Food Consumer
That Happened! - Melbourne Herald Sun
all 54 news articles


Initial Survey Findings on Diabetes Awareness Released by ...
MarketWatch - 11 hours ago
BATON ROUGE, La., Nov 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Patient Assistance releases initial findings of a survey on diabetes awareness amongst the predominantly ...


Type 2 diabetes may slow mental processing speed
Reuters - 23 hours ago
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research shows that among the mental abilities that are affected by type 2 diabetes, the speed at which the brain processes ...


ABC News

Diabetes or Cancer. The Same Drugs for Both?
NBC Chicago, IL - 2 hours ago
Scientists are finding links between medications used for diabetes and cancer. In several cases, drugs for one disease are helping to control the other. ...
Northeast Ohio Health and Medical Consumer News The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com
Ginkgo biloba doesn't prevent dementia, study finds Los Angeles Times
The Fight Against Alzheimer’s I Really Should Study
PR Web (press release) - Globe and Mail
all 536 news articles


Fooling immune systems to fight diabetes
United Press International - 17 hours ago
20 (UPI) -- Doctors have tricked mouse immune systems into "thinking" cells from a donor pancreas are theirs, bringing hope to diabetes patients, ...
New technique eliminates toxic drugs in islet transplant in ... EurekAlert (press release)
all 18 news articles


WCBD

Millions have diabetes and don’t know it. How about you?
WCBD, SC - 7 hours ago
November is diabetes awareness month and it’s estimated more than five million people in the US are unaware that they have it. 23-million Americans have ...


Hormone linked to falls in older diabetic adults
Reuters - 56 minutes ago
... MD NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - As levels of parathyroid hormone rise, so does the risk of falls in older, well-functioning men and women with diabetes, ...
Children of centenarians live longer: Study Hindu
all 22 news articles


Cherokees mark November as Diabetes Awareness Month
Muskogee Daily Phoenix, OK - 15 hours ago
TAHLEQUAH — Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions among Native Americans, and complications from diabetes are major causes of death and health problems ...


Los Angeles Times

Health of California's seniors is deteriorating
Los Angeles Times, CA - 11 hours ago
A recent UCLA medical study has found that a growing number of older Californians are suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. ...
Valley seniors' health woes rise Fresno Bee
San Joaquin Valley center of emerging health crisis among elderly UC Los Angeles
all 5 news articles


Advanced Health Care Options for People With Diabetes
Extra Newspaper, IL - 23 hours ago
20 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- It's estimated that almost 2.5 million Latinos in the US will be affected by diabetes by 2020, of those, ...

Diabetes - Google News

home | index |site map
© 2006