Diabetes Diet
Diabetes Facts
Other
Causes
The incidence of diabetes is increasing all around the world and becoming an alarming situation. The number of existing cases and the number of new cases are both increasing. Most of this increase is not due to the growing population of the elderly but rather to a middle aged population and the youth. According to WebMD, "There has been a 10-fold increase in the number of children with Type 2 diabetes during the past five years." Over 85% of the children with Type II are also overweight.
Between 1980 and 1996, the number of persons with diagnosed diabetes increased
by 2.7 million and the age-adjusted prevalence of the disease increased
19%. This percentage is compared with an increase of 26% in the crude
prevalence or "non-age adjusted" prevalence. This difference
in percentage increase indicates that less than 30% of the increase in
prevalence is due to the aging of the U.S. population.
In the UK, diabetes numbers leapt to 1.8 million. The figures are part
of a report by Diabetes UK which predicts that the number of people with
the condition will continue to rise as the population ages and becomes
more overweight. Similar statistics revealed that three per cent of the
population, equivalent to the combined population of Liverpool, Birmingham
and Manchester had diagnosed diabetes. This reflected an increase of 400,000
people in just eight years! It was also predicted by a study in the UK
that the number of people with the condition would continue to rise as
the population aged and also tended toward a higher incidence of obesity.
"The number of people with diabetes is increasing at an alarming
rate," said Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK. The
increase in the number of people who suffer from obesity may begin to
give us an explanation for why this incidence continues to rise.This increase
in both the UK and the United States appears to be a recent trend. From
these statistics, there are certain conclusions that can be drawn about
the increased incidence of diabetes.
In the case of Type 2 diabetes, we now know that it is caused by a combination
of genetic disposition, insulin abnormality, glucose production, fat breakdown
and defective hormones. The recent dramatic increase in cases of diabetes
may be mostly due to lifestyle factors such as overweight condition and
a non-active lifestyle. These factors may also be significant in the triggering
of the genetic elements of Type II diabetes.
To explain this condition more scientifically, we must first look at how
the levels of fatty acids and hormones create "insuilin resistance"
in the body. The two hormones "resistin" and "leptin"
may be involved in setting up "insulin resistance" but it is
not known if their elevated levels are just a biproduct of obesity or
whether they play a more fundamental role in diabetes. Some proteins called
calpains may also play a big role in insulin secretion and insulin action.
How these hormones contribute to Type II diabetes is still being researched.
Genetic factors have been identified as the possible cause for increased
incidence of diabetes. In terms of the impairment of beta cell function
and an abnormal response to insulin, scientists have identified a number
of genetic possibilities. Certain genes associated with maturity-onset
diabetes in youth (MODY), may be responsible for inherited cases of type
II diabetes. A fatty-acid protein known as "FABP2" gene may
also contribute to higher levels of fat which may be responsible for insulin
resistance. Another gene known as "lipoprotein lipase" or "LpL"
may be a culprit in both coronary artery disease and Type II diabetes.
Yet another gene is being researched which reduces the activity of a protective
substance found in visceral fat cells near the midsection of a persons
abdomen. The result of this reduced activity is a slow-down in the persons
metabolism and an increase in weight. As these genes propogate in humans,
the incidence of diabetes may also be going up.
Whether it be lifestyle causes or genetic causes, the incidence of diabetes is definitely on the increase. As scientists continue to research these different suspected causes, they will likely gain new insights into the nature and likelihood of diabetes in certain individuals.