Diabetes is one of the most common chronic metabolic diseases and currently approximately 415 million people have diabetes, and most of them, almost 90%, have type 2 diabetes.
This condition occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin, leading to chronically high blood sugar levels.
Insulin is the hormone produced by cells in the pancreas called beta cells and helps lower blood sugar levels when they become too high by helping the cells absorb them.
For a long time, doctors believed that the main problem with type 2 diabetes was excess sugar in the blood. But new research from the University of Oxford changes that idea.
The research shows that it is not only the sugar (glucose) itself that damages the pancreas, but that it also happens to the sugar as soon as it enters the body cells. When glucose is broken down in the cells, it creates byproducts known as glucose metabolites.
These byproducts may be the real reason why the insulin-producing beta cells no longer work overtime.
The research suggests that the process of glucose metabolism, how it is broken down in the body, may be more damaging than just sugar levels.
This is a major discovery because it changes the way scientists and doctors can treat type 2 diabetes.
If we can find ways to slow or change the way glucose is broken down in the body, we may be able to protect beta cells and help people with diabetes produce insulin for longer.
Keeping blood sugar levels in balance is very important for health. If blood sugar levels drop too low, a person may feel dizzy, confused, or even faint.
But if blood sugar levels remain too high for a long time, it can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
The Oxford research, led by Dr Elizabeth Haythorne, shows that a certain by-product of glucose builds up in cells due to a blockage in the way glucose is broken down.
This buildup is thought to cause damage to the beta cells and make it harder for them to release insulin. This shifts the focus from just blood sugar levels to the entire process of sugar metabolism.
This research gives hope to the millions of people living with type 2 diabetes and opens the door to new ways to treat the disease.
