How Long for Diabetes cure

[rogervansteeden]

Having read the Diabetes newsletter which was emailed to me today about another new treatment, is it likely there will be a cure for type 2 diabetes as there seems to be a constant stream of breakthroughs but then we dont hear follow ups.I cant remember who it was but a poster in here said her consultant reckoned there would not be a cure in her lifetime.If a cure is found that would mean no more pills or having to test our blood sugars anymore which would be great, as i would be only taking meds for my other medical problems.

 

[Dennis]

Hi Roger,

It would be nice to think there will one day be a cure for type 2 diabetes, but unfortunately type 2 does not have a single cause. There are many things that are all lumped together under the label "Type 2" and all of us type 2s have various combinations of some or all of these.

To give you a few examples, all of them classed as type 2:

- pancreatic cell destruction by autoimmune system

- pancreatic cell damage as a result of other causes (e.g. pancreatitis)

- failure of the digestive system to produce incretins that tell the pancreas to produce insulin

- incretins are produced but are destroyed by autoimmune system before they can reach the pancreas

- failure to metabolise sugar into energy because of cell resistance

- reduced insulin sensitivity

Unfortunately to really cure “type 2” then separate cures for all of these would need to be found. But I suppose if each one is targeted then eventually we could see a time when all of them can be overcome.