Causes of Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of blood sugar. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes usually affects children and young adults, while Type 2 affects adults mostly and accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases. In addition to sugar overload, other factors associated with diabetes include insulin deficiency, genetics, age, ethnicity, diet, physical inactivity, obesity and pregnancy. Blood sugar overload due to deficiencies in insulin activity is the primary cause of diabetes. The beta-cells of the pancreas produce the hormone insulin in response to detected increases in blood glucose. The hormone controls how the human body uses sugar for energy. The disease prevents cells in the body from getting adequate energy to function properly. Insulin deficiency is usually due to inadequate production and secretion of the hormone by pancreatic beta cells, or resistance to the actions of insulin in the liver, muscles and fat. Diabetes is typically associated with family history. According to the American Diabetes Association, a person with a family history of diabetes is more likely to develop the condition than someone without a family history of the disease. Diabetes runs in families partly due to the effect of inherited genes and partly due to the tendency of children learning the bad habits of physical inactivity and poor diet from their parents. Diabetes hardly affects a person who has no diabetes in his immediate family or someone who constantly eats a healthy diet. It is now well-recognized that diabetes affects more African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asian-Americans, when compared with white Americans.