Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, or the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. It is something you likely already know if you have diabetes or if you take care of someone who does. This article attempts to delve more deeply into the known causes of diabetes. It also discusses how these can be eliminated or at least mitigated, thereby facilitating the reversal of diabetes.

The disease is far more alarming because the high blood glucose levels may not have any apparent effects on the body in the short term. But they may damage almost every organ in the body in the long run.

• An A1C level of 5.7%-6.4% signals increased diabetes risk.
• Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly with few symptoms.
• Type 2 diabetes risk is higher if a close family member has it.
• Type 2 diabetes is increasingly diagnosed in children due to obesity.
• Poor sleep quality can increase Type 2 diabetes risk.
• Women with gestational diabetes face higher Type 2 diabetes risk later.
• Diabetes treatment costs billions globally each year.
• Environmental factors like viral infections may trigger Type 1 diabetes.
• Low vitamin D levels might increase Type 2 diabetes risk.
• A high-fiber diet can improve blood sugar control and reduce Type 2 diabetes risk.

Insulin synthesis is carried out by the cells of the pancreas. Insulin synthesis in these cells is either inadequate or inefficient in people with diabetes. As a result, glucose is partly broken down (not utilized), resulting in a rise in blood sugar. The actual cause of Diabetes, on the other hand, is unknown. Those under persistent emotional or mental pressure, have a family history of the illness, are sedentary and overweight, and have a wide waist circumference are more prone to acquire diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus can be divided into the following types: 

1. Type I or IDDM (Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus) 

2. Type II or NIDDM (Non-Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus) 

3. MRDM (Malnutrition Related Diabetes Mellitus) 

4. IGT (Impaired Glucose Tolerance) 5. Gestational Diabetes 6. Secondary Diabetes 

They are also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. In this type of Diabetes, the pancreas cannot produce the hormone insulin, which is essential for glucose absorption by the cells to get energy and is necessary for maintaining a healthy life. In this type, patients need to take regular insulin injections to keep their blood levels under normal limits. In most cases, the disease manifests itself quickly and at an earlier age. In addition, the person is usually underweight in this condition. The virus of autoimmunity causes it. 

They were also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. It constitutes over 90% of all Diabetic Patients. In this type, there is a partial failure of insulin production, and there is resistance to insulin in the cells where it acts. Hence, the body cannot utilize the produced insulin. 

In this case, there is usually a positive family history of diabetes. It starts slowly and occurs mainly in adults and obese (overweight) patients. Patients who successfully reduce their weight via food therapy/oral hypoglycemic agents (tablets) and manage to keep it off get the most benefit.

People between the ages of 15 and 30 are the most likely to be affected by it, and particular tropical nations, such as India, are more likely to experience it. Patients diagnosed with MRDM are often malnourished and underweight. In certain conditions, the pancreas cannot produce adequate insulin for some unknown cause.

 As a result, patients need to take insulin by injecting it into their bodies. However, in contrast to type I Diabetes (IDDM), these patients generally do not develop ketoacidosis (a severe complication of Diabetes leading to coma) when insulin injections are discontinued. 

When the rise in blood sugar level after administration of 75g oral glucose is between normal and diabetic values, that condition is called IGT. Persons in this category are generally free from symptoms of Diabetes. However, they have the potential to develop Diabetes at a later stage. 

Diabetes that is only present during pregnancy is referred to as gestational Diabetes. It occurs in around two to three percent of all pregnancies. Gestational Diabetes makes complications associated with the mother’s Diabetes more severe and increases the likelihood that the mother’s child may get Diabetes in the future. Pregnant women with a family history of Diabetes or bad obstetric history should be screened for gestational Diabetes with the help of a glucose load test. 

When Diabetes occurs in association with some other recognized disease pancreas is destroyed, and it leads to the impaired (abnormal) secretion of insulin, like: 

1. Pancreatic Diseases: Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and Carcinoma (cancer) of the pancreas. 

2. Endocrine Disorder: e.g., Acromegaly, Cushing’s syndrome (which increases the concentration of catabolic hormones or modifies the regulation of insulin receptors). 

3. Drug-Induced: Thiazide diuretics, contraceptives, and glucocorticoid steroids. 

4. Insulin Receptor Defect: Insulin receptor antibodies 5. Insulin defect: Abnormal insulin secretion 

In diabetics, the pancreas (located just below the stomach in the abdomen), which generates insulin (a hormone required to break down glucose in body cells), produces less insulin. As a result, it increases blood glucose levels between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood when fasting and between 100 and 140 milligrams per deciliter of blood two hours after eating. 

When blood glucose levels exceed 180 milligrams per deciliter, glucose is excreted through urine by the kidneys. This results in a severe decrease in blood sugar and converts urine into a sweet substance.

According to the most current medical results from the previous decade, “lower insulin sensitivity” has been connected as an additional cause of diabetes. Moreover, insufficient insulin synthesis by pancreatic islet cells leads to diabetes. The hypothesis that diabetes is caused by incomplete insulin synthesis is gaining traction in the medical world today.

Insulin is a protein hormone that the pancreas secretes. Because it circulates throughout the body and reaches all cells, this hormone or molecule is critical. It makes it easier for glucose to enter cells, which may then be converted into the usable energy that cells need to function correctly. Insulin must collaborate with a protein on the cell membrane to allow glucose to enter (called the insulin receptor).

The pancreas secretes more insulin as soon as the meal is digested, increasing the blood glucose level (carbohydrate breaks down into small units called glucose during digestion in the intestine). The pancreas can monitor blood glucose levels and alter insulin production as needed.

What causes insulin inefficiency or reduced insulin secretion is unknown. The majority of diabetes types have no recognized etiology. The amount of blood glucose is excessively high. The pancreas’ inability to produce an adequate amount of insulin is the root cause of the problem. Diabetes may be influenced by a person’s genetic makeup and immediate circumstances. It is still being determined what these components are. The following, however, might be a component of the plot:

About half of all diabetes cases are caused by a diabetic parent or close relative. Although a relationship has been shown, the causative genes have yet to be discovered. Diabetes is more likely to affect a child if both parents have the condition. If one or both parents have diabetes, a child has a 4-5% chance of developing the illness. 

If both parents have diabetes, the risk rises dramatically. It is entirely avoidable; however, if children take part in regular physical exercises such as yoga, walking, and meditation, limit their exposure to stressful circumstances, and maintain a healthy weight and diet.

Obesity, a high-calorie diet, and a lack of exercise all contribute to diabetes development. Diabetes is increasing due to the expansion of conveniences that reduce our need for activity. This disease is more prevalent among the rich. Increased sugar or sweets consumption is not known to induce diabetes in otherwise healthy people. Diabetes management improves in obese people due to “insulin insensitivity,” which corrects itself once the weight is gone.

Being overweight does raise one’s chances of having diabetes. A BMI at least 10% greater than expected increases your chances of developing diabetes. It is related to insulin ineffectiveness and poor blood sugar management in obese persons. There is a clear link between excessive obesity and the development of diabetes. Overweight people are characterized as having poor eating habits. They have a diet high in fat content and sweet carbohydrates but lacking in fiber. Furthermore, persons who do not exercise increase their chance of developing diabetes.

Diabetes is not caused by hypertension and vice versa. However, many persons with Diabetes also have hypertension and vice versa. Although the exact cause of Diabetes is uncertain, high blood pressure is suspected to impair some cells, particularly those involved in insulin synthesis.

Diabetes is becoming more associated with modern-day pressures such as employment expectations, a lack of spare time, financial constraints, family problems, antagonism, and frequent fights. Cortisol and adrenaline are released into circulation when a person is under stress. They are both capable of drastically raising blood sugar levels. Therefore, “stress-induced diabetes“ was used to describe this condition.

Diabetes complications may not always have to be the outcome of a significant health concern. For example, it is not always true that extended bed rest from illnesses such as septicemia, meningitis, paralysis, or typhoid, during which patients’ physical activity levels are reduced to near nothing, will cause the development of diabetes. It may undoubtedly speed the development of diabetes in those genetically prone to the illness.

The presence of excessive body fat in the body has been linked to the development of Diabetes. Diabetes type 2, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease are all conditions that have been associated with obesity. However, they usually get along and even help each other out. 

Diabetes, on the other hand, is an express condition that any other factor cannot bring on. Unidentified viruses, toxins in today’s industrialized environment, and the production of antibodies that assault the body are all potential causes of the growing diabetes incidence. It may occur when islet cells are destroyed, as in pancreatitis or after an abdominal injury.

Having reviewed all causes of diabetes, we should understand that you can prevent certain types of diabetes. A lack of control over one’s blood sugar may lead to various serious issues, including loss of vision, renal failure, heart attack, stroke, and even the necessity for lower limb amputation. You may control diabetes, and its symptoms and effects are reduced by combining food and lifestyle modifications, physical exercise, medication, and frequent screening.

Modifications to one’s diet and way of life, such as increasing physical activity, reducing sitting time, and giving up or cutting back on tobacco use, may either prevent the development of type 2 diabetes or delay it for a longer time.