Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, which plays a role in reducing blood sugar levels by “opening the door” for glucose molecules to enter cells to provide energy. In sick people, this process is hindered by many different problems.

Causes of type 1 diabetes

In people with type 1 diabetes, the patient’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, causing decreased levels of this hormone in the body. Too low an insulin level will cause glucose to remain in the blood instead of entering the cells, thereby causing a high blood sugar index.

Currently, the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is still unknown. However, some theories suggest that genetic and environmental factors may contribute to diabetes etiology.

Causes of type 2 diabetes

In prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the body’s cells become resistant to the action of insulin and the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to combat this resistance. Instead of moving to cells, glucose accumulates in the blood, leading to increased blood sugar levels.

Similar to type 1 diabetes, experts still cannot determine the cause of type 2 diabetes. However, several factors have been shown to be associated with this problem, including:

Genetic
Environmental factors
Overweight
Over 45 years old
Sedentary
Have ever had gestational diabetes or been diagnosed with prediabetes
High blood pressure, high cholesterol or high triglycerides
Causes of gestational diabetes

During pregnancy, the placenta secretes hormones to maintain the pregnancy. These hormones make cells in the body resistant to insulin.

Normally, the pancreas will produce enough insulin to overcome this resistance. However, sometimes the pancreas still cannot produce enough. When this happens, the amount of glucose reaching the cells decreases and blood glucose levels increase, leading to gestational diabetes.

Your risk of getting the disease increases if you:

Overweight
Over 40 years old
Have had gestational diabetes or had a baby weighing over 4.5kg
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)