Hi alexukie!!
Although I did not find specific info about the alleged myth the short
answer is insulin does not damage pancreas of type 1 diabetics, and,
yes, for a type 1 diabetic is hard to leave taking insulin, he must
take it for for the rest of his or her life.
I will start the explanation of the answer with a brief definition of
Type 1 Diabetes condition:
Glucose is a source of energy for the body, it acts as an energy
storage molecule, glucose is immediately involved in the production of
ATP, the cell's energy carrier.
Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your liver and
muscles. The blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body.
The pancreas releases insulin (a hormone) into the blood to helps the
glucose from food get into your cells. If your pancreas cannot make
enough insulin or if the insulin does not work the way it should, the
glucose cannot get into your cells. It remains in your blood instead
so your blood glucose level will gets too high (Hyperglycemia) and can
damage internal organs, the nervous system and blood vessels.
Diabetes mellitus is a medical disorder characterized by varying or
persistent hyperglycemia, especially after eating.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disorder, in which the beta
cells in the Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas that produce insulin
are seen as "enemies" by mistake. The body then creates specific
antibodies which destroy them or damage them sufficiently to reduce or
suppress insulin production. Then the body cannot use or store the
blood glucose and the blood glucose level raises (hyperglycemia).
Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in children and
adolescents, but can occur in adults as well.
See the following picture:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/19212.jpg
Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which circulating insulin is very low
or absent, plasma glucagon is elevated, due the pancreatic beta cells
are damaged enough to fail to respond to all insulin-secretory
stimuli. In order to reverse this catabolic condition, prevent
ketosis, decrease hyperglucagonemia, and normalize lipid and protein
metabolism patients need exogenous insulin. Type 1 Diabetes must be
treated with insulin shots.
Here I can add a comment regarding to your question:
Remember that beta cells of the people with type 1 diabetes have been
(or are being) destroyed by the inmune system (not by insulin) and
they need insulin shots to use glucose from meals and prevent the
development of complications. In at least the mid-term the pancreas
essentially releases no insulin at all, and the patient relies on
insulin medication for survival.
Insulin does not cure diabetes, but helps to keep people with type 1
diabetes alive by keeping your blood glucose level within near-normal
ranges and, with this, preventing long-term complications of diabetes,
such as blindness, nerve damage or kidney damage, etc.
Insulin therapy in Type 1 diabetes is life saving and is an ABSOLUTE
REQUIREMENT because the body is not able to produce insulin itself.
Treatment for type 1 diabetes also includes making wise food choices,
being physically active, taking aspirin daily (for some), and
controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
The topic of the next paragragh may be complete the answer, and
probably is the source of the alleged myth that says that taking
insulin shuts down the pancreas.
- The Honeymoon Period in Type 1 Diabetes treatment:
"Type 1 DM patients require insulin therapy to control initial
hyperglycemia and maintain serum electrolytes and hydration. At times,
the first incidence of ketoacidosis is followed by a symptom-free
period where patients do not need treatment. This "honeymoon period"
follows the initial treatment, in which the disease remits and the
patient requires little or no insulin. This remission is due to a
partial return of endogenous insulin, which may last for several weeks
or months (and sometimes 1-2 y). Ultimately, however, the disease
recurs, and patients require insulin therapy."
From "Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - Treatment" at eMedicine:
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic546.htm#section~treatment
See also "What is the honeymoon period?":
http://diabetes.about.com/library/blqanda/blqahoneymoon.htm
It is believed that a normal pancreas have more insulin producing beta
cells than are necessary for maintaining normal blood glucose level.
For been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a great percentage of the beta
cells must have been destroyed. In early type 1 diabetes, many of the
remaining beta cells have been weakened by glucose toxicity from
constant high blood glucose level and by overwork and they not produce
enough insulin. When the insulin therapy starts these beta cells can
recover. This is the possible cause of the honeymoon period. Even if
they recover, however, they still must work harder than they can to
match the job of a normal pancreas working at full capacity. This
overwork and the fact that the damaging processes in the pancreas are
irreversible and continue cause that over a period of time? from a few
weeks to many months? the pancreas becomes unable to produce any
insulin and all the body?s need for it must be met by injection.
During the honeymoon period, the person may need to take little or no
insulin. When it is over, the person needs to take insulin for the
rest of his or her life.
The confusion that lead to the opinion that insulin damages the
pancreas could be originated in the honeymoon period. Some people can
believe that the insulin taked stoped the remaining beta cells, but
the insulin helps then to start to work again, the overwork and the
fact that the damaging processes in the pancreas are irreversible and
continue cause its shut down.
This, in my opinion, completes the answer to your question.
A number of research projects are currently taking place which hope to
preserve the function of these existing beta cells in people with type
1 diabetes past the honeymoon phase (immunosuppresion to stop beta
cell destruction), and transplantation of pancreatic islets, which
contain beta cells.
If you are interested on them see the following pages:
"Short-Term Use of New Drug Safely Arrests Type 1 Diabetes for One
Year" at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF):
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=100372
"Pancreatic Islet Transplantation" at National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse:
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/pancreaticislet/
"Pancreatic Islet Transplantation to Treat Type I Diabetes" at FDA:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/genetherapy/pancislet.htm
"Pancreatic Islet Transplantation" at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX:
http://www.debakeydepartmentofsurgery.org/home/content.cfm?proc_name=pancreatic+islet+transplantation&content_id=272
"Altering the Course of Type 1 Diabetes: Strategies for Preserving
Residual Beta-Cell Function":
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/419175?src=search
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For additional references see:
"Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1".
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic546.htm
"Endocrine Web's Diabetes Center - Type 1 Diabetes":
http://www.endocrineweb.com/diabetes/1diabetes.html
"MayoClinic.com - Insulin and diabetes: Manage your blood sugar to
prevent complications":
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DA00010
"Educational Guidelines for Achieving Tight Control and Minimizing
Complications of Type 1 Diabetes" at American Academy of Family
Physicians:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/991101ap/1985.html
"Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and the Use of Flexible Insulin Regimens" at
American Academy of Family Physicians:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2343.html
"Type 1 Diabetes - American Diabetes Association":
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes.jsp
"Exploring the world mythology of diabetes ":
http://www.diabetesvoice.org/issues/2004-03/Exploring_the_world_mythology_of_diabetes.pdf
"Diabetics Forum - Myth and Facts":
http://www.diabetesforum.net/myths_and_facts.htm
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I hope that this helps you. If you need a clarification please feel
free to request for it. I will gladly respond to your request before
you rate this answer.
Best regards.
livioflores-ga |
