What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
There is no simple answer to what causes type 2 diabetes. While eating
sugar, for example, doesn't cause diabetes, eating large amounts of
sugar and other rich, fatty foods, can cause weight gain. Most
people who develop diabetes are overweight. Scientists do not fully
understand why obesity increases someone's chances of developing
diabetes, but they believe obesity is a major factor leading to type
2 diabetes. Current research should help explain why the
disorder occurs and why obesity is such an important risk factor.
| Points to Remember
- In people with type 2 diabetes, insulin doesn't
lower blood sugar, a condition called insulin resistance.
- Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes.
|
A major cause of diabetes is insulin
resistance.
Scientists are still searching for the causes of insulin
resistance, but they have identified two possibilities. The first could be
a defect in insulin receptors on cells. Like an appliance that needs to be
plugged into an electrical outlet, insulin has to bind to a receptor to
function. Several things can go wrong with receptors. There may not be
enough receptors for insulin to bind to, or a defect in the receptors may
prevent insulin from binding.
A second possible cause involves the process that occurs after insulin
plugs into the receptor. Insulin may bind to the receptor, but the cells
don't read the signal to metabolize the glucose. Scientists are studying
cells to see why this might happen.