Just a query: I thought beta cell destruction was caused by auto-antibody action. Is that only true of Type 1 ?? Eve

well hi there Eve,fancy meeting you here.sure i was just talking to you this morning.pleased to see you.if you haven,t already seen, Bill,Dina,Les and me and Rosie are here also.its like home from home.

Hi eevee and welcome! Autoimmune destruction is one way to bid your beta cells goodbye and this is usually the cause of type 1 diabetes, but it's not the only way that they can be destroyed. Chronically high blood sugars have also been found to damage beta cells as well and I'm sure there are more mechanisms by which beta cells can be lost that nobody has even found or thought to look for yet.
With the chronic blood sugar elevation, it becomes a vicious cycle. The more your blood sugars are/stay elevated, the more beta cells become lost which in turn elevates your blood sugar even more. The remaining beta cells must then work much harder to keep up with the demand and in turn wear out more quickly.
One question that I'd like to see answered is if beta cells can regenerate in type 2 diabetics with tight control or if once they are lost, they are gone for good.

Hi,

From what I heard, they are gone forever ;-( That is the main reason for a type II becoming insulin dependent ...

Thanks,

Adam

How do we know that for sure? How many TYPE II's have maintained tight control from day one of dx? I am not ready to believe we are doomed. I like to think of it as a "weak" pancreas that I have to shelter and protect. And I am doing so with every ounce of courage and willpower that I can muster up!

I don't believe that we are "doomed" Sherrielee. It's true that by the time they are diagnosed, many type 2's have already lost about 50% of their beta cells, but I believe that the progression can be halted through tight control from that point forward.
Not all type 2's eventually wind up on insulin. Many continue to maintain on diet alone or diet and medication until old age. I believe that the reason for that is better or poorer control. The less well controlled you are, the more likely that you will eventually wind up on insulin.

I,m with you here Lisa,i don,t believe that we are doomed.
although my A1c was higher in the early years after dx,(6%),i always mantained good control.i,m pretty sure my remaining beta cells were protected by this and thats how now,i can manage diabetes with diet and exercise.Its the high bgs that cause further damage to the pancreas,not "diabetes" itself.

Hi Lisa/Sherrielee,

Now, I never insinuated that we were "doomed" ;-) Even as non-diabetics age, many of the B-cells will die and so it is the same with a well controlled type II diabetic. The issue that we face is - how many of the B-cells did we kill before diagnosis ? So, since we (type II diabetics) have less B-cells than a non-diabetic (at the same age), the odds are that a lot of us will be on insulin as we get older. Besides, is being on insulin the end of the world ? At least, since we are trying to control our disease, we (hopefully) will be alive ((in our old age) and should be able to spend time with our love ones.

Thanks,

Adam

Yes, Adam, i guess odds are some of us may wind up on insulin, and it sure won't be the end of the world. I believe that if we do, following Dr B's diet and 'the law of small numbers" will minimize hypos and other such unpleasantness. Cheers, Bill

Being on insulin is a lifesaver for T1, and IF you are T2, not controlled despite all your effort, you would be foolish to avoid it when suggested !! There are lots of things to try first, BUT...better that than a wheelchair, or a white cane.

I read somewhere that the 'dawn phenomenom' is the body's natural way of preparing us for a quick start to the day...once upon a time we had to leave our caves pretty early in the am and catch us a bear/rabbit/pig and so, needed to be at our most alert. Eve

Hi everyone--

I've been following this thread with interest. It seems like several of you are looking ahead by ten, twenty, even thirty years as to what awaits T-1's and T-2's. Personally, I'm encouraged by the work in stem-cell research that is just beginning to be done in various centers around the world. I'm trying not to count on anything, but I think it's likely that some novel solutions will emerge as time passes.

Do you think I'm being too optimistic?

As long as Bush is in the White House, yes. Christopher Reeve "Superman" can't even get that man to budge on his opinion on stem cells.

I really don't want to see this thread dissolve into a political wrangle, but I will observe that we are not likely to see the current administration continue for more than 5 years (unless the U.S. Constitution changes), and there is no mandate that says the U.S. is the only country in which advances in medical science are possible. Some of the more interesting current work in stem cell research appears to be based in Edmunton, Canada.

Interesting to think about possible miracle cures - but I honestly think that even if they could transplant something into me and I wouldn't be a diabetic anymore, I would still low carb. I can no longer believe that glazed donuts or banana cream pie are good for anybody. Or white bread, bagels, pick your villain. Bill