Quote:
Originally posted by Rob43
Hi, Can a type 2 person become a type 1 after the pills and diet stop working ? Thanks, Rob43 |
Nope. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are very different diseases. They have different causes and different ways of working. Type 2 never turns into type 1, but type 2 is a progressive disease and eventually pancreas function wears down and many many people with type 2 eventually need insulin to help manage their blood glcuose levels.
For a while diabetes was categorized by the treatment used (insulin dependant and non-insulin dependant). Now it is categorized by the pathology of the disease itself. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where the body mistakes the pancreatic beta cells for "foreign invaders" and attacks them, destroying their function. Type 2 is almost always caused by insulin resistance. The pancreas still makes insulin, but the insulin no longer works properly to get the glucose from the blood stream into the cells. For a while the pancreas may even try to make extra insulin to make up for the insulin being "ignored". But eventually this wears down and less and less insulin is produced.
Check out these pages from diabetes123.com for more info...
Andrea
