Type II Diabetes – And My Pancreas ? What’s That ?What’s Going On? Yikes!
12:26 pm in Weight Problems by seph
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, getting more knowledge of this gland can help people with Type 2 Diabetes comprehend more fully their diagnosis. This pancreas is known an endocrine gland. Its primary function is secretion of pancreatic fluid following eating. Inside the pancreas, though, are some other small clusters of tissue that relate to insulin production. These are known as the islets of Langerhans.
The islets of Langerhans contain four different types of cells: beta, alpha, delta, and gamma. The beta cells produce the glucose . The insulin hormone is known to have many functions. It helps some cells then convert glucose into glycogen, which those cells use for energy. It helps convert certain amino acids into protein. It works in fat cells to take in glucose and aids in turning it into fat. It also helps reduce appetite in the hypothalamus gland. Insulin’s role in glucose regulation is how it relates directly to diabetes. Diabetes 2 occurs either when the islets of Langerhans stops producing the required 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. In normal cases, the muscle cells absorb the glucose and use insulin to turn it into glycogen. In patients with Diabetes 2, the muscle cells only convert a small portion of the glucose. For a short period, the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas will increase output of insulin. However, that is indeed not sustainable in the long term. 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. Therefore, the proportion of insulin generated diminishes. This exacerbates the insulin needs that many sufferers in the later stages of the disease now have. To address this, many studies attempt to restore the normal amounts of insulin generated. Hence, one area of scientific research underway looks at the possibility of transplanting healthy islets of Langerhans into the pancreases of sufferers with Type II Diabetes. It is accepted that there have been no successful transplants, but it is something that may happen in the future.
