Diabetes 2 – Is There Damage To The Pancreas ? Oh No! You Don’t say!
When faced with a diagnosis of Diabetes , education and knowledge is extremely important. The pancreas is usually a bit of a mystery for most people. The organ is located in the abdomen and secretes hormones. The most famous secretion is insulin. However, understanding this gland can help patients understand their diagnosis. The pancreas itself is called an endocrine gland. Its primary function is secretion of pancreatic fluid after a meal. Inside the pancreas, though, are some other small clusters of tissue that relate to insulin production. These go by the name of the islets of Langerhans.
The islets of Langerhans contain four different types of cells: beta, alpha, delta, and gamma. The beta cells produce the insulin . Insulin performs many biological functions. It helps some cells then convert glucose into glycogen, which those cells use for energy. It is known to aid in conversion of aspecific amino acids into protein. It works in fat cells to take up glucose and assists in converting it into fat. Did you know it also helps reduce 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.
Type 2 diabetes develops when muscle cells begin to lose their ability to process insulin efficiently. Under the normal situation, muscle cells absorb glucose and use insulin to convert it into glycogen. In people with Type 2 Diabetes, the muscle cells only convert a small portion of the blood sugar . 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 glucose.
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. Did you know the quantity of insulin manufactured decreases. This exacerbates the insulin needs that many sufferers in the later stages of the disease now have. To combat this, research looks to restore the amount of insulin produced. Understand that one area of research underway looks at the possibility of transplanting healthy islets of Langerhans into the pancreases of sufferers with Type II Diabetes. It is a well known fact that there have been no successful transplants, but it is something that may happen in the future.