Diabetes : An Autoimmune Disease

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the pancreas not being able to produce insulin which regulates the levels of glucose in the blood (Bennett 17). People who struggle with this condition need insulin shots several times today to ensure their blood sugar remains in a healthy range. This often times is a burden on the diabetic's daily lifestyle. If unchecked, diabetes can cause severe weight loss, overwhelming tiredness, increased thirst and hunger, and excessive urination. Scientists and doctors have been seeking for ways to help diabetic's cope with this illness. After years of researching and testing, they have begun developing a method to help alleviate the problems of diabetes. This new method, islet cell transplantation,

According to the United States Library of Medicine, diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body does not make or use insulin correctly, therefore causing fluctuating amounts of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of adults and children from various cultures. According to the American Diabetes Association (2014), someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 19 seconds. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention most recent statistical report indicated there were 29.1 million adults and children affected by diabetes. Those numbers are astounding. Unfortunately, the American Diabetes Association (2014) estimates by year of 2050, one out of three adults will have diabetes. Therefore, it is imperative that adults take aggressive measures to prevent this disease. By the same token, diabetes diagnosed in children and adolescent is becoming more prevalent every day. The American Diabetes Association (2014) reported there were about 216, 00 children in the United States with diabetes. It is predicted that one out three children will be diagnosed with diabetes in their life. The statistics for both adults and children with diabetes are frightening; however, early detection can help lower the risk of developing the debilitating effects of diabetes.

For my health project topic I chose Diabetes. One of my aunts has type one diabetes, and that is partially why I chose to do this topic. Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar) because of varying reasons. Some of these reasons include insulin production is inadequate or because the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin, or both. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Basically it is a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. The lack of insulin causes a form of diabetes. Diabetes is a long term condition that causes high blood sugar levels. People with high blood sugar have frequent urination (Polyuria) and become increasingly thirsty and hungry (Polydipsia and Polyphagia). There are three types of diabetes, Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 is when the body does not produce insulin. Type 2 is when the body does not produce enough insulin for proper function. Finally, Gestational Diabetes may effect females during pregnancy.

Diabetes comes in multiple forms: type 1, or diabetes insipidus; type 2, or diabetes mellitus; or gestational, which occurs during pregnancy and may be either type 1 or type 2. Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the person has high blood glucose. (Blood glucose is also know was blood sugar.) When the person has high blood sugar it’s either because the insulin result is insufficient, or the body’s cells don’t respond to the insulin like it should, or both can happen. There are different types of diabetes. They are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 occurs when the body doesn’t produce insulin; type 2 is occurs when the body’s receptor cells no longer accept the insulin produced by the body’s pancreas. Gestational diabetes affects women that are pregnant. [What is Diabetes? (n.d.)]. There are symptoms of the different types of diabetes. The type 1 diabetes symptoms are increased thirst, increased hunger, dry mouth, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vison. The type 2 diabetes symptoms are slow-healing sores or cuts, itching of the skin, yeast infections, recent weight gain, numbness or tingling of the hands and feet, and impotence or erectile dysfunction. Gestational diabetes often doesn’t have symptoms, however if they do they are increased thirst, increased urination, increased hunger, and blurred vison. Some of these symptoms are very similar to each other. [Diabetes Causes and Types: Pre-Diabetes, Types 1

Type 1 diabetes ‘usually develops in childhood or adolescence’ (WHO 2011, p. 2), and will result in death if the disease is not treated by consistent insulin injection. This type of diabetes is slightly more complex as it is substantially caused by gene mutation (WHO 2011, p. 2). The World Health Organization (2011, p. 2), describes the aetiology of the disease as the ‘autoimmune destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas.’

Type 1 diabetes formerly known as insulin dependent or juvenile diabetes is a sudden onset in which the body produces little or no insulin and commonly begins in childhood or adolescence, although anyone can develop type 1 diabetes at any time (Gale, 2013). Without insulin, sugar stays in the bloodstream and cannot be used to fuel the body cells. In this disease the body 's immune system attacks and destroys beta cells in the pancreas by producing autoantibodies that cannot distinguish between an intruder and the bodys own beta cells that produce insulin (Brill, 2008). Thus, people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections to stay alive as the disease can be rapidly fatal without daily administration of unsulin (WHO, 2008).

Type One Diabetes, Juvenile Diabetes, or Diabetes Mellitus; an autoimmune disease affecting millions (about 3 million in the United States) causes the body’s own immune system to target and attack beta islet cells in the pancreas which are responsible for the production of insulin, an enzyme that lowers the concentration of glucose in the blood. A century ago, diabetes was a quick death sentence; we only found how to produce artificial insulin in the 1920’s, so before that, if a patient got diabetes, they had maybe a week or two at best before the state of hyperglycemia would shut down bodily functions. When a person does not produce or receive insulin, blood glucose concentration rises, which results in a large number of inconvenient effects immediately, but it also gradually causes internal damage, typically heavily damaging extremities, nerve endings, eyes, and kidneys first, as well as producing an enzyme called ketones, which causes extreme unhealthy weight loss. On the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes diabetics, who have to manually give themselves insulin, can accidentally give themselves too much, resulting in hypoglycemic episodes, where the body does not have enough glucose and energy to function; in some cases, this can cause the shutdown of body systems and even a quick death. Dying in one’s sleep is a constant threat to type one diabetics, as glucose levels naturally drop while fasting. Additionally, this disease is a life-sentence that typically strikes

Diabetes is a common chronic disease that causes problems in the way the blood uses food. The inability of the body to transform the sugar into energy is called diabetes. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the primary source of fuel for our bodies. When food is digested, some of the food will be converted into glucose which is then transferred from the blood into the cells however, insulin, which is produced by beta cells in the pancreas is needed. In individuals with diabetes, this process is impaired.

Diabetes mellitus is a major chronic and complex public health problem that is affecting over 31 million people worldwide (Nguyen, 2014). Approximately fifty percent of people living with diabetes are undiagnosed and it has been estimated that every ten seconds three persons are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (American Diabetes Association, 2008). In the United States, nearly 26 million adults and children are diagnosed with diabetes, another 7 million are undiagnosed and 79 million living with pre-diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2012). The total amount of healthcare expenditure for diabetes in the United States was $245 billion of which $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity (Selp, 2015). Diabetes is one of the nation’s most deadly diseases and has been a contributor to major health consequences such as kidney failure, blindness, stroke, heart disease, non- traumatic limb amputation and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States (Nguyen, 2014). Despite the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the United States there is a significant disparity in non-Hispanic Blacks living with diabetes (Ogden, 2012). Several factors such as body weight, physical inactivity, cultural influences, environmental and psychosocial issues have been identified as contributing to the disparity.

There are over three million Americans that have already been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and another 15,000 children and 15,000 adults being diagnosed each year. Although frequently overshadowed by the better known type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that is not caused by “being fat” or “eating unhealthy” as many would ignorantly infer. Type 1 diabetes, however, is caused by the attacking of the immune system on the pancreas, denying it the ability to carry out its most important function, producing insulin to help control one’s blood glucose levels. For over a decade now, biomedical engineers, scientists, and doctors have been working diligently and effectively on creating a closed-loop

Produced by beta cells in the pancreas, insulin is vital to humans’ existence. By regulating the cellular intake of glucose from the blood stream, insulin regulates the levels of sugar in the blood. It seems a very nominal process; however, disrupting the body’s production or response to insulin can have very dire consequences. Type 1 diabetes is when the body no longer produces insulin, and if left untreated, glucose, from food, and kentones, from fat degradation, will build up in the individual’s bloodstream. If left untreated, the condition is fatal. Type 2 diabetes is when the body’s cells are no longer responsive, or have a lessoned response, to insulin. Such a condition can cause poor circulation, resulting in amputations, and ailments such as blindness. Type 2 diabetes can also be fatal. Thus, even though synthetic insulin and corrective diets are available for diabetics, more research is needed to find ways to regenerate beta cells for individuals with type 1 diabetes. On a personal note, this subject matter appeals to me, because my younger brother had type 1 diabetes, and if enough people put hard work into researching this disease, maybe one day they will have a cure.

Several people in the United States suffer from diabetes. Some of the worst cases can cause kidney failure and even death. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune metabolic condition which kills off all the pancreatic beta cells that produce the insulin needed for glucose regulation in the body. (2) Finding a cure for type 1 diabetes would be one of the most successful thing we can do. By testing a human insulin producing cell, we can see if injecting a type 1 diabetic with the insulin producing cell that would then help generate their own insulin producing cells.

There are many speculations on what causes diabetes type one. This research paper will be focusing on the autoimmune theory. It will be going over why it is thought to be autoimmune. Then it will be going over signs and symptoms. Finally it will go over treatments offered to patients.

Diabetes mellitus is a lifelong disease that lessens the body’s ability to use energy found in food. There are three major types of diabetes including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. People with diabetes cannot break down the sugars and carbohydrates found in food. The main type of sugar the body uses for energy is glucose; Glucose is the special sugar that fuels the cells in your body. These cells also need insulin, which is a hormone that uses glucose to turn into energy for cells. With diabetes mellitus your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it produces effectively. This causes the glucose to build up in your blood, which can damage blood vesicles in your kidneys, eyes, heart, and nervous system. With diabetes going untreated it can cause kidney disease, blindness, stroke, heart disease, and nerve damage to the nerves in the feet. I am interested in this disease because my grandpa has had the disease since he was a child and still suffers with it to this day. He has had his big toe removed, which eventually lead to having to get his leg amputated from an infection that traveled up his leg. Having diabetes makes it difficult for the body to fight infections, and cuts go unnoticed because diabetes can cause numbness in appendages, which makes it hard for the person to know that they have an open wound, and that wound can become infected very easily.

Diabetes is a systemic disease caused by a decrease in the secretion of insulin or reduced sensitivity or responsiveness to insulin by target tissue. (Beale, et al., 2011) The incidence of diabetes is growing rapidly in the United States and worldwide. An estimated 347 million people around the world are afflicted with diabetes. (Whalen, et al., 2012) According to World Health Organization (WHO), Diabetes prevalence among adults over 18 years of age has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014. It is the major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and limbic amputation. World Health Organization (WHO) projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030. It is a complex and costly disease that can affect nearly every organ in the body and result in devastating consequences. The leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations, renal failure, and blindness in working-age adults, diabetes is also a major cause of premature mortality, stroke, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, congenital malformations, perinatal mortality, and disability. (Cefalu, 2000) Insulin therapy and oral hypoglycemic agents have demonstrated improvement in glycaemic control. However, Insulin therapy has some disadvantages such as ineffectiveness following oral administration, short shelf life, of the need for constant refrigeration, and fatal hypoglycaemia, in the event of excess dosage.