CAUSE AND MECHANISM OF DIABETES

 

Literally "Diabetes Mellitus" means "sweet urine" or presence of sugar in urine. The Greek people (where the allopathic medical science initiated 500 years back) called it so, because they found the urine of people suffering from this disease is sweet in taste.

In this disease, the Islet cells of Pancreas (situated just below the Stomach in the abdomen) secrete less amount of Insulin- the hormone required to break down glucose inside the body cells. This in turn, increases the blood level of Glucose (which should normally be 80-100 mg/100ml of blood in fasting state and 10-140mg/100ml of blood two hours after food). When the blood level of glucose becomes above 180mg/100 ml of blood the kidneys start throwing glucose outside the body. This results in a huge loss of glucose from the body and also make the urine sweet. The raised level of glucose in the blood may not produce any major symptoms to the body in the short-term, but causes destruction of almost all the organs of the body in the long run.

Latest medical research findings in the last decade, point towards another cause of diabetes that is "reduced sensitivity of Insulin" apart from low secretion of Insulin from pancreatic Islet cells. In fact in the recent days this theory of low powered or ineffective. Insulin is gaining more ground in the causation of Diabetes.

Insulin is a protein molecule made up of 51 amino acids which is directly released into the body by the pancreas. This chemical or hormone, which travels in the blood stream to reach each and every cell of the body, is very vital. It facilitates the entry of glucose inside the cells which in turn, derive energy for survival by breaking down this glucose. Insulin has to bind with a protein present in  the cell membrane (called the insulin receptor) like a lock and key to facilitate this glucose entry. The pancreas secretes more Insulin as soon as the food is absorbed raising the blood glucose level. (Carbohydrate break down into small units called glucose during digestion of food in the intestine). Pancreas can sense the glucose level of the blood and acts by increasing or decreasing the Insulin release throughout the day.  

The exact cause of this reduction of insulin secretion or ineffective Insulin is not known but the followings may be implicated:

Genes: Almost 50% of the Diabetes patients have one of the parents or family members affected with diabetes. Till now the genes responsible have not been isolated but a strong correlation exists.

Lifestyle: High calorie food intake, lack of exercise and physical inactivity and obesity is very strongly connected to Diabetes. Diabetes is becoming more common as more and more amenities are developed reducing our physical activity. It is also related to affluence as rich people have more incidence of Diabetes. However, it is believed that increased consumption of sweets or sugar in normal people do not lead to Diabetes. Obese people develop definite "insulin Insensitivity" which becomes okay once they lose their weight leading to better diabetic control. 

Hope you liked this blog!                                                   

This blog is written by Dr. Bimal Chhajer (Heart Problems expert)