Why is Alzheimer’s Disease called Type 3 Diabetes? Because in time the disease progresses from a slow start to the final stages. This type of diabetes is a progressive disease. In time you will find that your body will be unable to produce insulin or it will be unable to use the cells that are produced by your pancreas to do what they are supposed to do. What makes this disease so dangerous is that it begins with a very slowly progressing stage of memory loss and then moves on to the destruction of the brain cells.
This type of diabetes is a chronic disease. It does not begin with weight gain. Weight gain usually comes with other problems such as depression, sleep apnea, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart problems. Many types of diabetes develop later in life such as kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. But, some diabetes does begin immediately with puberty.
There are many reasons that this type of diabetes develops. One is that there is a defect in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The cells that are supposed to produce insulin have somehow malfunctioned. The pancreas has to work extra hard to get the job done. When the pancreas has difficulty getting the job done the cells that are supposed to produce insulin are either damaged or they are permanently shut off.
How does this type of diabetes develop? One likely cause is that there is too much glucose in the bloodstream. Insulin is needed to break down the glucose so that it can be used by the cells to do their job. Too much glucose in the bloodstream tends to be stored by fat cells. This fat can become a major factor in the development of cardiovascular disease.
Why is diabetes related to old age is that the disease tends to run in families? A family history of the disease is one way to predict an individual’s chances of developing the disease. If someone in your family had the disease there is a good chance you will as well. However, you cannot say that just because you have a family history of the disease that you will get it.
What causes the excess glucose to enter into the bloodstream and go towards causing diabetes? One cause is the body trying to use too much energy at one time. The cells and especially the ones that are in the pancreas work overtime to produce the amount of glucose the body requires. This in turn brings about excessive production of blood sugar which is what causes the body to start having problems.
Scientists and doctors believe that the damage caused to the nerves in the brain is another cause of diabetes. When nerve cells do not receive the right signals, they begin to malfunction and this is a contributing factor to why is Alzheimer’s Disease called Type 3 Diabetes. Once damage to these nerves has occurred, it can result in memory loss, concentration problems, blurry vision, and even erectile dysfunction in some individuals. These are all direct results of the disease.
Finally, another cause of diabetes is the inflammation that occurs in the body with diabetes. When the body is not able to properly heal itself, it creates plaque. Plaque can lead to kidney failure, heart attack, or stroke. Blood sugar control is one of the reasons why the disease is known as Type 2. This means that the disease must be handled immediately before the damage to other areas of the body occurs.
