created: 24.09.2004
last modified: 24.09.2004
The metabolic disease diabetes is one of today’s most common chronic diseases. Especially in the industrialized countries the number of type-2 diabetics is increasing due to obesity resulting from over-feeding. Diabetes mellitus means "honey-sweet flow" and was already mentioned first 100 AD. Aretaios speaks of it as a "strange disease". Even today not all questions about the origin and the consequential diseases are clear.History
In the 17th century Thomas Willis described the honey-like sweet taste of the urine of the patient – the method to diagnose diabetes mellitus in the old days.
1889 Paul Langerhans found "islands" in the tissue of the pancreas. Although their purpose wasn’t clear they were named after him, "Islets of Langerhans".In the same year the first animal experiments with diabetes mellitus were done.
In 1921 Banting and Best were able to extract insulin from pancreas tissue and to inject it into a dog. Already one year later the insulin treatment began for diabetics, which had a positive impact on their life expectancy and quality.
Until nowadays the structure of human insulin has been analysed and the extraction has been improved so far, that in the meantime it is possible to synthesize human insulin with the help of gene-technology.
FORMS OF DIABETES
The two most common forms of the metabolic disease are type-1 and type-2. The body needs glucose for the cells to produce energy. But to be able to absorb sugar the fat and muscle tissue need insulin. If this is missing or if the cells can't recognise it, the blood glucose level that has increased after a meal remains on a high level. If the concentration exceeds a certain level the glucose reaches the urine and is excreted this way.
Type-1 Diabetes
This type belongs to the autoimmune diseases. That means antibodies destroy the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. The body is no longer able to produce the hormone on it's own.
The reasons for this phenomenon could not be cleared completely yet. On one hand a genetically inherited trait plays a role. On the other hand it is very likely that virus infections have an influence, by "activating" antibodies. Studies show that external factors as well as eating habits have a certain impact on the genesis of type-1 diabetes. More specified results do not yet exist. In Germany about 300.000 people have type-1 diabetes at the moment. Mostly the diagnosis is made before the 30th birthday. In the past type-1 diabetes therefore used to be called "Youth-Diabetes".
Type-2 Diabetes
The pancreas of a type-2 diabetic does still produce insulin, unlike a type-1. But this either happens too slowly or the body's cells are "insulin resistant".
In this case overweight plays a big role: The more food a body consumes, the more insulin it needs to handle it. At the same time the exorbitant pounds make the body's cells less sensitive towards the insulin. As a reaction the pancreas produces even more insulin. If this overcharge lasts several years it leads to a depletion of the insulin production, which is followed by type-2 diabetes. 90% of all type-2 diabetics are overweight! Hereditary factors and age also have an influence on the outbreak of the disease. In an advanced age the insulin production decreases. And if at least one of the parents is diabetic the risk of diabetes ranks between 25 and 50%. Especially for this type of diabetes specific prevention is possible: A healthy diet and sport don't only burn fat but also help the body to make better use of it’s insulin. By reducing weight, type-2 diabetics can improve their blood glucose level immensely.
RARE FORMS OF DIABETES
Apart from type-1 and type-2 diabetes there are more forms of the disease, but they appear very seldom.
Gestational Diabetes
About 1 to 5% of all pregnant women have an increased blood glucose level during their 9 months of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes normally forms back after giving birth to the baby. But what remains is a 30% higher risk of coming down with diabetes during the next 5 years. In general every woman can get gestational diabetes. Women over the age of 30, overweight women and those who have first grade relatives who have diabetes are more endangered.
Secondary Diabetes
Diabetes can also be the consequence of other diseases or a genetic defect. This can be, among others, a disease of the pancreas. But diabetes does only begin when 90% of all insulin producing cells are destroyed.
Also long time medication (cortisone for example) can cause diabetes.
Diseases of hormone producing gland also have an influence on the development of diabetes. In case of a Cushing-syndrome, for example, the body produces cortisol at an increased rate. In case of an acromegaly the production of growth hormone is increased. A hyperfunction of the thyroid glands can also be the reason for diabetes. Other causes can be infections like innate rubella.
Continue reading on this topic in part two
