What disease is caused by the inability of the body to produce insulin to control blood sugar level?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs because the body is unable to use blood sugar (glucose) properly. The exact cause of this malfunction is unknown, but genetic and environmental factors play a part. Risk factors for diabetes include obesity and high levels of cholesterol. Some specific causes are discussed below.

Lack of insulin production

This is primarily the cause of type 1 diabetes. It occurs when insulin-producing cells are damaged or destroyed and stop producing insulin. Insulin is needed to move blood sugar into cells throughout the body. The resulting insulin deficiency leaves too much sugar in the blood and not enough in the cells for energy.

Insulin resistance

This is specific to type 2 diabetes. It occurs when insulin is produced normally in the pancreas, but the body is still unable move glucose into the cells for fuel. At first, the pancreas will create more insulin to overcome the body’s resistance. Eventually the cells “wear out.” At that point the body slows insulin production, leaving too much glucose in the blood. This is known as prediabetes. A person with prediabetes has a blood sugar level higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Unless tested, the person may not be aware, as there are no clear symptoms. Type 2 diabetes occurs as insulin production continues to decrease and resistance increases.

Symptoms of insulin resistance »

Genetics plays a role in determining how likely you are to develop some type of diabetes. Researchers don’t fully understand the role of genetics in the development of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, statistics show that if you have a parent or sibling with diabetes, your odds of developing it yourself increase.

Although research is not conclusive, some ethnic groups seem to have a higher rate of diabetes. This is true for:

  • African-Americans
  • Native Americans
  • Asians
  • Pacific Islanders
  • Hispanic Americans

Genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis and hemochromatosis can both damage the pancreas leading to a higher likelihood of developing diabetes.

Monogenic forms of diabetes result from single gene mutations. Monogenic forms of diabetes are rare, accounting for only 1 to 5 percent of all cases of diabetes found in young people.

A small percentage of pregnant women may develop gestational diabetes. It’s thought that hormones developed in the placenta interfere with the body’s insulin response. This leads to insulin resistance and high levels of glucose in the blood.

Women who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women that deliver a baby that weighs more than 9 pounds are also at greater risk.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases as you age. Your risk goes up after age 45 in particular. However, the incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically among children, adolescents, and younger adults. Likely factors include reduced exercise, decreased muscle mass, and weight gain as you age. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed by the age of 30.

Excess body fat can cause insulin resistance. Fatty tissue may cause inflammation that can lead to insulin resistance. But many overweight people never develop diabetes, and more research is needed on the link between obesity and diabetes.

Poor nutrition may contribute to type 2 diabetes. A diet high in calories, fat, and cholesterol increases your body’s resistance to insulin.

Diet tips for insulin resistance »

Exercise makes muscle tissue respond better to insulin. This is why regular aerobic exercise and resistance training can lower your diabetes risk. Talk to your doctor about an exercise plan that is safe for you.

Although rare, certain hormonal conditions can also lead to diabetes. The following conditions can sometimes cause insulin resistance:

  • Cushing’s syndrome: Cushing’s syndrome causes high levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone in your blood. This raises blood glucose levels and may cause diabetes.
  • Acromegaly: Acromegaly results when the body makes too much growth hormone. This can lead to excessive weight gain and diabetes if left untreated.
  • Hyperthyroidism: Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. Diabetes is one of the possible complications of this condition.

In this section:  

  • What are the different types of diabetes?
  • How common is diabetes?
  • Who is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes?
  • What health problems can people with diabetes develop?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy.

Sometimes people call diabetes “a touch of sugar” or “borderline diabetes.” These terms suggest that someone doesn’t really have diabetes or has a less serious case, but every case of diabetes is serious.

What disease is caused by the inability of the body to produce insulin to control blood sugar level?
Diabetes affects just about everyone, from the over 110 million Americans with or at risk for the disease to the many more people who care for them.

What are the different types of diabetes?

The most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.

Other types of diabetes

Less common types include monogenic diabetes, which is an inherited form of diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

How common is diabetes?

As of 2015, 30.3 million people in the United States, or 9.4 percent of the population, had diabetes. More than 1 in 4 of them didn’t know they had the disease. Diabetes affects 1 in 4 people over the age of 65. About 90-95 percent of cases in adults are type 2 diabetes.1

Who is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes?

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are age 45 or older, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight. Physical inactivity, race, and certain health problems such as high blood pressure also affect your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. You are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have prediabetes or had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant. Learn more about risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

What health problems can people with diabetes develop?

Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as

  • heart disease
  • stroke
  • kidney disease
  • eye problems
  • dental disease
  • nerve damage
  • foot problems

You can take steps to lower your chances of developing these diabetes-related health problems.

References

What disease is associated with the inability to produce insulin?

As diabetes occurs as a result of your body being unable to produce any, or enough, insulin to regulate your blood glucose, your blood glucose levels may become very high. This happens because there's insufficient insulin to move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells to produce energy.

What is the condition where the body is unable to produce enough insulin to control blood glucose level effectively?

Prediabetes means your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes usually occurs in people who already have some insulin resistance or whose beta cells in the pancreas aren't making enough insulin to keep blood glucose in the normal range.

What type of diabetes does not produce insulin?

In type 2 diabetes, there are primarily two interrelated problems at work. Your pancreas does not produce enough insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — and cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar.

What is the disease that may develop when the body does not produce enough insulin to meet its need?

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high.