In Type 1 DM (6% to 7% of DM patients), the immune system malfunctions, and mistakes those pancreatic endocrine beta cells for foreign invaders – and DESTROYS ALL OF THEM. The OTHER 98+% of the pancreas is FINE, and fully functional. But without those beta cells – our bodies can produce NO INSULIN AT ALL, and THAT is why we become DM patients. In Type 3c DM (~1% of all DM patients), a sort of collateral-damage version of Type 1 occurs; in these diseases, an unrelated disease of the exocrine pancreas (pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, haemochromatosis, et al) damages the endocrine pancreas, including those endocrine beta cells as well – leaving them with too little insulin, which causes their DM. BUT – they usually still produce SOME insulin.
Comments