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Type 1 Diabetes Essay

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Diabetes, which is also called diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder which does not allow the body to properly store and utilize energy from food. It is also defined as a condition in which glucose can be utilized as fuel by the human body (“Diabetes: The Difference Between type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes”). The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known but when the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are mistakenly destroyed by the body’s immune system, type 1 diabetes is caused. Genetics may be held responsible along with exposure to several environmental factors like viruses for triggering the disease (“Type 1 Diabetes”). Type 1 diabetes cannot be cured but research is being conducted to introduce diabetic vaccines, artificial pancreas, …show more content…

Synthesis of glucose takes place in the liver and it is then transferred to the blood to be supplied to all parts of the body for fueling cellular processes. For using glucose as a fuel, insulin is needed for getting the glucose into the cells (Eiselein & Schwartz). The specialized cells in the pancreas make insulin which is a hormone responsible for regulating blood glucose. It stimulates the removal of glucose from the blood and assists in storing it in liver, muscle and fat cells as energy. Often enough insulin is not made by the body or the cells stop responding to insulin. Consequently, blood glucose levels are raised as there is no more energy in the cells. The tiny blood vessels in the eyes, heart, kidneys and nervous system are damaged as a result of very high blood glucose levels. This is the reason why the risk of cardiovascular disease, loss of vision, kidney disorders and neurological conditions is increased. If blood glucose remains high, diabetes or pre-diabetes is diagnosed. Pre-diabetes is described as a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than average but they are not too high to be diagnosed of diabetes. The two main types of diabetes are type and type 2 diabetes that can be characterized by their causes, symptoms, traits and management but there is another type of diabetes that is called gestational

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