“What are the causes of diabetes?”

Diabetes may be inherited, auto immune, associated with obesity And insulin resistance resulting in islet cells in the pancreas unable to control the sugar levels by secreting the appropriate amount of insulin. You could read volumes about what is known about diabetes but the full answer is not yet known

High fat high carbohydrate diet sedentary life. Obesity. High blood pressure high. Triglycerides (candies creams. Fast food). Having a baby. Greater then 9 pounds eating. Sugar and sweets

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body's system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and a progressive decline in pancreatic β cell insulin production. There is no autoimmune-mediated pancreatic β cell damage and most patients with type 2 diabetes do not need insulin during the initial stages of the disease.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which insulin is produced, but is not used properly: a given amount of insulin does not produce the expected result. In people who are obese it may be that the chronic inflammation associated with obesity affects the function of the insulin receptors on the cells in the liver, muscles, etc., decreases the number of insulin receptors, affects insulin signaling pathways, or inactivates insulin receptors (Allende-Vigo, 2010; Olatunbosun, 2011).

The progressive decline in pancreatic β cell function is due to decreased β cell mass caused by apoptosis (Butler, Janson, Bonner-Weir, Ritzel, Rizza, Butler, 2003); this may be a consequence of aging, genetic susceptibility, and insulin resistance itself (Unger, Parkin, 2010). The etiology of type 2 diabetes is complex and involved genetic and lifestyle factors.

Genetic factors: There are susceptibility genes that definitely play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, but their contribution appears to be small. The effect of the known, common gene variants in creating a pre-disposition to type 2 diabetes is approximately 5%-10% (McCarthy, 2010), so unlike some inherited diseases, being homozygous for these susceptibility genes does not typically result in a case of type 2 diabetes unless certain environmental (in this case lifestyle) factors are present.

Lifestyle factors/demographics: Obesity is definitely a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes (Li, Zhao, Luan, et al, 2011), and the greater the degree of obesity, the higher the risk (Nguyen, Nguyen, Lane, Wang, 2011). Excess adipose tissue is typically in a state of chronic inflammation, and this inflammation is thought to cause insulin resistance in the adipose tissue and in other organs (Gutierrez, Puglisi, Hasty, 2009). Other factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes are the presence of the metabolic syndrome (Eckel, 2008), age, and a sedentary lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is much more common in African-Americans than other ethnic groups. There may be a genetic explanation for this, but socio-economic factors are probably to blame (Link, McKinlay, 2009).

Obesity and inactivity especially in someone with Family history of diabetes.

Well, I will first say there are 2 types of Diabetes Mellitus. The first is an autoimmune problem whereby the pancreas (endocrine portion) is attacked by your own antibodies shutting it down so a person cannot make insulin. The second type is more common and has a lot of different things that contribute to it. It is different for many people, but I can tell you some things that may help you understand it. The basic problem is that although your pancreas CAN make insulin and often A LOT, the body stops reading it. (Insulin is what allows your cells to utilize sugar as fuel.) Many people get diabetes due to being overweight, it often runs in families (more often than does type 1 diabetes).

Hope that helps. It really is an enormous Great question. Hopefully, you can speak to a primary or an endocrinologist who can explain why YOU got diabetes and what can be done for you to treat it/manage it/live with it.

Good luck,

Elizabeth Anderson Parks, MD

This is a complex question because there are different kinds of diabetes (Type 1 & Type 2 & subtypes of each). I suspect you have Type 2. Both 1 & 2 are a combination of inherited (genetic) and environmental cause, but different genes & environmental causes. Type 1 is genetic with genes carried on the #6 chromosome, but we have not yet identified the environmental trigger, though there are several possibilities. Whatever triggers it, sets off the immune system to attack the pancreas cells that produce insulin & destroying them. Type 2 diabetes is also genetic though the many forms of it suggest many different genes. Last I heard scientists had identified at least 120 possible genes that could cause one form or another of Type 2. The environmental triggers for Type 2 are better known that for Type 1. Overwt. is the most potent trigger. Abdominal fat produces hormones that trigger insulin resistance & make the pancreas cells work harder to keep the blood sugar down. This stress on the pancreas is eventually too much & it wears out sooner than usual & can't make enough insulin to keep up so the blood sugar goes up, viola Diabetes! The outcome is the same if the diabetes is not well controlled-damage to the blood vessels & nerves with blindness, kidney failure, heart disease & nerve pain, & amputations. Get your doctor to send you to a certified diabetes educator & get a good education about your disease & keep the blood sugar in control!!