Question: how does insulin help diabetes?

Laura Wales answered on 24 Jun 2015:

Diabetes is caused when blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high because the body can’t use it properly. Insulin regulates blood sugar level. Diabetes can happen because the pancreas isn’t producing any insulin, enough insulin or because the insulin produced doesn’t work properly.

When we eat, glucose levels in the blood increase. This triggers the pancreas to release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin acts as a key to open the cells so it can take the sugar and use it for energy (or store it).

Insulin and glucagon (another hormone release by the pancreas, but this time the alpha cells in the Islets of Langerhans) work together to maintain blood sugar levels. Glucagon is released when blood sugar levels are low (eg. If you have been fasting or exercising), causing the stored glucose to be released therefore increasing blood sugar level.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. The immune system usually ignores healthy cells but with this type of diabetes, the immune system destroy the beta-cell in the pancreas that produce insulin. This means that there is no insulin to control blood glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes develops when there is not enough insulin produced or when it doesn’t work properly.

There is also gestational diabetes which happens to a woman during pregnancy. This type of diabetes disappear once the baby is born but it does increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

People with diabetes need insulin to maintain their blood sugar levels. This can be in tablet form or injections, depending on the type of diabetes and the control required.