The number of people with diabetes is increasing globally. Each day, more and more individuals are diagnosed with this serious health condition. Scientists are continually researching to find a cure because diabetes mellitus is potentially life threatening. But before they can discover a cure, they need to be sure of the causes of diabetes mellitus. There have been some fascinating discoveries recently, but much research has yet to be done, for the simple reason that for some types of diabetes, a definitive cause has yet to be identified, even though there are effective diabetes treatment options available.
The causes of diabetes mellitus type 1 are thought to be an autoimmune response wherein the body mistakenly attacks certain cells. The cells it targets are the ones in the pancreas that produce insulin, which die off for no known reason, resulting in an insulin deficiency. Although this explains the causes of diabetes mellitus, it’s still not known why the body attacks those essential cells in the pancreas. Some researchers think that there are certain triggers for the disease, such as food borne toxins, an infection, or even the consumption of milk from a young cow, which contains a certain chemical that inexplicably results in an autoimmune response. But these are just theories, and nothing has been established beyond a doubt.
The causes of diabetes mellitus type 2 are a somewhat different. This condition is exhibited when the system becomes unable to utilize insulin correctly. Even though your body is still making the insulin that it requires, that insulin is not being utilized as intended. This syndrome is known as insulin resistance. It can also take place if the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin that it is making is faulty.
When it comes to diabetes experienced by pregnant women, once again there are no established causes of diabetes mellitus. There are, though, several hypotheses that many experts believe could be the underlying reason for this condition, known as gestational diabetes. They believe that the baby’s placenta might have something to do with it. The placenta is what supplies the baby’s sustenance, and it creates high levels of certain hormones. It is thought that these hormones begin to affect the ability of the mother’s system to utilize insulin correctly.
Research is ongoing into the causes and cures of diabetes. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer until the causes of diabetes mellitus are identified. Once that happens, discovering a cure should follow soon. In the meantime, there are effective diabetes treatment methods available to help control the condition.