Diabetic Seniors

Adult onset, insulin dependent, juvenile diabetes, Type 1, Type 2—sounds confusing and rightly so. However, to help sort things out some simplification in terminology is in order. Type 1 Diabetics, once called juvenile diabetes, are insulin dependent. People with Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult onset diabetes, are insulin resistant. Each type of Diabetes is caused by an assortment of factors; but may share some commonalities. It is important to understand what are not causes of diabetes. These factors include exposure to a diabetic, getting diabetes from food, or stress. Sometimes, when one is under stress or has an illness, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes may be discovered, but the illness was not cause of the diabetes—those situations merely brought the problem to the surface.

Causes of Type 1 Diabetes:

Before discussing the causes of Type 1 Diabetes, it helps to understand what it is. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune response which means little or no insulin is produced in the body because the body’s immune system destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

Type 1 Diabetes causes:

• Genetics- if either of your parents have/had diabetes you are more likely to become a diabetic. Race is also a diabetic factor as some races are more inclined toward diabetes.

• Autoantibody-Special proteins produced by the lymph nodes which recognize their own cells. For the Type 1 diabetic, the autoantibodies recognize 3 markers—islet cells which are found in the pancreas, insulin, and glutamic acid decarboxylas (GAD), a protein made by the pancreas.

• Viruses- Often, those who are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes have had recent bouts of viral infections like polio, measles, or mumps. There are several theories as to why those infections are causes of Type 1 diabetes, but the exact connection is not yet deduced.

• Cow’s Milk- Studies have shown that children who have cow’s milk early in life (3-4 months) have a greater risk for developing Type 1 Diabetes.

• Oxygen Free Radicals (OFR)-Research shows that the OFR are broken down by islet cell’s low enzyme levels and can be a cause of Type 1 Diabetes.

• Chemical and drugs-Laboratory studies show that prescription drugs like pentamidine which is and L-asparaginase can cause Type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes Causes:

The main difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes is the insulin production. Type 1 diabetics do not produce insulin and Type 2 produces t, but the body does not receive it. Researchers do not fully understand why Type 2 occurs, but they have been able to narrow down some of the causes of Type 2 Diabetes.

• Genetics- Type 2 also seems to run in families as well as being more prevalent in Native Americans, Mexican Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans.

• Age, obesity and lifestyle- A sedentary lifestyle frequently results in being overweight/obese which often leads to Type 2 diabetes. In addition, while Type 2 is more common in people over 55, the inactive lifestyle of today is lowering that age at an alarming rate.

As you see, causes of diabetes may be varies. However, if you already have 2-3 of the diabetic causes, don’t despair. While you can’t change your genetics, you can determine to get the most out of life—so watch what you eat, stay active, and get regular checkups. Now you know what the causes of diabetes are, and that can make a difference, for you and those around you.

Tags: causes of diabetes, diabetes causes, type 1 diabetes causes, type 2 diabetes causes