diabetes

[ntdna]

i was wondering about the relation between the tyroid gland and diabetes

[Double K]

First understand the role of the thyroid, and the cause of diabetes.

 

Also, there are a few types of diabetes, such as insulin dependant, and

non-insulin dependant and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).

 

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

 

Type 2. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its

development.

 

GDM. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life.

http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Types_of_Diabetes

 

Overall, the thyroid gland is responsible for the speed of metabolism (metabolic and chemical processes) in our bodies, by affecting every cell, tissue, organ and organ system.

When it comes to metabolism -

Carbohydrate metabolism: Thyroid hormones stimulate almost all aspects of carbohydrate metabolism, including enhancement of insulin-dependent entry of glucose into cells and increased gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis to generate free glucose.

http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/thyroid/physio.html

 

Carbohydrate metabolism begins with digestion in the small intestine where monosaccharides are absorbed into the blood stream. Blood sugar concentrations are controlled by three hormones: insulin, glucagon, and epinephrine. If the concentration of glucose in the blood is too high, insulin is secreted by the pancreas. Insulin stimulates the transfer of glucose into the cells, especially in the liver and muscles, although other organs are also able to metabolize glucose.

During strenuous muscular activity, pyruvic acid is converted into lactic acid rather thatn acetyl CoA. Durlng the resting period, the lactic acid is converted back to pyruvic acid. The pyruvic acid in turn is converted back to glucose by the process called gluconeogenesis (anabolism). If the glucose is not needed at that moment, it is converted into glycogen by glycogenesis.

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/600glycolysis.html

 

When you eat, the food is digested and then broken down into glucose. Glucose is the simple sugar that is the body's main source of energy, otherwise known as blood sugar. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and are absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream after you eat.

 

The pancreas then secretes insulin in response to the increase in blood sugar. Most cells of the body have insulin receptors which bind the insulin to the cell. When a cell has insulin attached to it, the cell then is able to activate the other receptors. These receptors are designed to absorb glucose from the blood stream and move the glucose into the inside of the cell for energy.

 

Without insulin, the cells in our bodies would not be able to process the glucose and therefore have no energy for movement, growth, repair, or other functions. Insulin is key to unlocking the door of the cell to allow the glucose to be transferred from the bloodstream into the cell.

 

Ordinarily, when glucose enters our blood, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose into our cells.

 

There are two types of insulin errors that the pancreas makes. The first is type 1 diabetes which produce no insulin. The second is type 2 diabetes. The pancreas in people with type 2 diabetes does not always produce enough insulin.

http://www.free-online-health.com/what-is-insulin.htm

[ntdna]

thanks alot for your answer you can't image how much it's helpfull.

[Marat]

An important additional issue to note is that since type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, it is associated with autoimmune thyroid disease, and it is not uncommon to find patients with both conditions.