Diabetes Research - Type 1 and Type 2
Diabetes is known as a rich person's disease, and it has seen a dramatic increase in the developed world over the past 30 years.
This relatively simple to prevent disease adversely impacts millions of people each year.
The impact ranges from the relatively minor inconvenience of dietary changes and insulin injections all the way up to death.
Diabetes research is targeted at finding ways of preventing and combating this disease.
Diabetes comes primarily in two forms, which appropriately enough are known as type one and type two.
In type one diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin.
This type of diabetes usually manifests itself while the patient is fairly young, and is also commonly known as juvenile diabetes.
If someone has type 1, they must inject insulin periodically and carefully monitor their sugar intake.
This must be done for the rest of their life.
With careful monitoring, a patient can live a relatively asymptomatic and fulfilling life.
However, the danger of a sugar overload or an insulin induced coma is always there for a patient.
Type two diabetes is more commonly found among adults, especially seniors.
With this type, the body actually becomes resistant to the effects of insulin.
This resistance creates a vicious circle that eventually results in a person's near complete inability to utilize insulin to break down sugar.
With type two, there may or may not be any initial problem with the pancreas's production of insulin.
Sometimes, the resistance causes the pancreas to slowly kill off insulin production, as the insulin it does produce lingers in the bloodstream instead of being used.
This form of the disease is also known as adult onset diabetes.
Researchers aren't certain of the exact causes of type one diabetes, but they have a much clearer picture of the risk factors involved with type two.
Eating a large quantity of processed sweeteners, such as those found in candy, chips, and other junk food elevates your risk of becoming pre-diabetic, a condition where you are prone to spiky blood sugar levels.
Obesity is also a risk factor, as is a sedentary lifestyle.
These three things are why diabetes is known as the disease of affluence, because in order to contract it, you must be well off enough to eat more than you need to live, and not engage in physical labor.
The disparity in diabetes rates between developing and developed countries is astounding.
Current diabetes research is focusing on ways to mitigate the body's resistance to insulin.
Many medications are in the trial stages which hope to enable those who are currently resistant to resume a normal life.
For those of us without the disease, the best course is to stay active and minimize our intake of highly processed foods.
Maintaining a healthy weight and a moderate level of physical activity are the best ways to ensure you do not contract diabetes, and they both yield dividends in other areas of health as well.
This relatively simple to prevent disease adversely impacts millions of people each year.
The impact ranges from the relatively minor inconvenience of dietary changes and insulin injections all the way up to death.
Diabetes research is targeted at finding ways of preventing and combating this disease.
Diabetes comes primarily in two forms, which appropriately enough are known as type one and type two.
In type one diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin.
This type of diabetes usually manifests itself while the patient is fairly young, and is also commonly known as juvenile diabetes.
If someone has type 1, they must inject insulin periodically and carefully monitor their sugar intake.
This must be done for the rest of their life.
With careful monitoring, a patient can live a relatively asymptomatic and fulfilling life.
However, the danger of a sugar overload or an insulin induced coma is always there for a patient.
Type two diabetes is more commonly found among adults, especially seniors.
With this type, the body actually becomes resistant to the effects of insulin.
This resistance creates a vicious circle that eventually results in a person's near complete inability to utilize insulin to break down sugar.
With type two, there may or may not be any initial problem with the pancreas's production of insulin.
Sometimes, the resistance causes the pancreas to slowly kill off insulin production, as the insulin it does produce lingers in the bloodstream instead of being used.
This form of the disease is also known as adult onset diabetes.
Researchers aren't certain of the exact causes of type one diabetes, but they have a much clearer picture of the risk factors involved with type two.
Eating a large quantity of processed sweeteners, such as those found in candy, chips, and other junk food elevates your risk of becoming pre-diabetic, a condition where you are prone to spiky blood sugar levels.
Obesity is also a risk factor, as is a sedentary lifestyle.
These three things are why diabetes is known as the disease of affluence, because in order to contract it, you must be well off enough to eat more than you need to live, and not engage in physical labor.
The disparity in diabetes rates between developing and developed countries is astounding.
Current diabetes research is focusing on ways to mitigate the body's resistance to insulin.
Many medications are in the trial stages which hope to enable those who are currently resistant to resume a normal life.
For those of us without the disease, the best course is to stay active and minimize our intake of highly processed foods.
Maintaining a healthy weight and a moderate level of physical activity are the best ways to ensure you do not contract diabetes, and they both yield dividends in other areas of health as well.
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