About Diabetes
Causes of Diabetes
Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar), resistance to insulin or both.
To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:
- A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
- An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.
People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because their pancreas does not make enough insulin or their muscle, fat and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally, or both.
Major Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes - usually diagnosed in childhood. The body makes little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are needed to sustain life.
Type 2 diabetes- far more common than type 1 and makes up most of all cases of diabetes. It usually occurs in adulthood. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to the insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to the growing number of older Americans, increasing obesity and failure to exercise.
Gestational diabetes- high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.
Outlook for Diabetes
With good blood glucose and blood pressure control, many of the complications of diabetes can be prevented.
Studies have shown that strict control of blood sugar and blood pressure levels in persons with diabetes helps reduce the risk of:
- Kidney disease
- Eye disease
- Nervous system disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
For more information, to schedule an appointment for a diabetes class or to see a dietitian, call (502) 629-2604. 
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