The Causes of Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which people do not produce enough insulin to meet their body's needs and/or their cells do not respond appropriately to insulin. Insulin is important because it moves glucose (a simple sugar) from the bloodstream to the body's cells. It also has many other effects on metabolism.

The food people eat provides the body with glucose, which is used as an energy source by the cells. If insulin is not available or does not work properly to transfer glucose from the blood to the cells, the glucose will remain in the blood. High glucose levels are toxic and cells that cannot access glucose lack the fuel they need to function properly.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. More than 90 per cent of all people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Overall, more than 3 million Canadians have diabetes, and that number is rising rapidly. More than a third of people with type 2 diabetes don't know they have the disease and therefore don't get the treatment they need because, for many, early symptoms go undetected without testing.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Everyone who has type 1 diabetes needs insulin injections. Most people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in childhood or adolescence.Type 1 diabetes is most common in people of Northern European descent.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not use insulin properly. It usually occurs in adults, although children may be affected in some cases.Type 2 diabetes usually has a family history of the disease, with 90% of people being overweight or obese.Type 2 diabetics may eventually need insulin injections. This condition is most common in people of indigenous and African descent, Hispanics, and Asians.

Another, less common form is gestational diabetes, which is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. Depending on risk factors, between 3 and 13 per cent of Canadian women will develop gestational diabetes, which can be harmful to the baby if left unchecked. The problem usually resolves after childbirth, but women with gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.