Diabetes Type 2 – What Damage To My Pancreas ?
When faced with a diagnosis of Diabetes, education is extremely important. The pancreas is often a bit of a mystery for most people. The tissue is situated in the abdomen and its function is to secrete hormones. The most famous secretion is insulin. However, understanding this gland can help patients understand their diagnosis. Did you know the pancreas organ itself is an endocrine gland. Its primary function is secretion of pancreatic fluid after a meal. Inside the pancreas, though, are other small clusters of tissue that relate to insulin production. These go by the name of the islets of Langerhans.
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The islets of Langerhans contain four different types of cells: beta, alpha, delta, and gamma. The beta cells produce the insulin . Insulin is responsible for performing many functions. It helps some cells convert glucose into glycogen, which those cells use for energy. It assists conversion of certain amino acids into protein. It works in fat cells to take up glucose and assists in converting it into fat. It also helps lessen the appetite in the hypothalamus gland. Insulin’s role in glucose regulation is how it relates directly to diabetes. Diabetes develops either when the islets of Langerhans stops producing insulin or when the muscle cells begin to lose their ability to process insulin efficiently.
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Type 2 diabetes develops when muscle cells begin to lose their ability to process insulin efficiently. In normal cases, the muscle cells absorb the glucose and use insulin to turn it into glycogen. In those with diabetes, the muscle cells only convert a small portion of the glucose. For a short time, the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas will increase production of insulin. However, that is not sustainable over the long run. Gradually, the amount of excess glucose begins to build in the blood stream. This condition now goes by the stamp of insulin resistance. The cells require more insulin to convert the same amount of
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In those with type 2 diabetes, over time, in the pancreas, the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans that produce the insulin begin to decline over time. The amount of insulin produced diminishes. This increases the dependence on insulin that numerouspeople in the later time period of the condition develop. To address this, many studies attempt to restore the normal amounts of insulin generated. One area of research underway looks at the possibility of transplanting healthy islets of Langerhans into the pancreases of those with diabetes. There have been no successful transplants, but it is something that may happen in the future.
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