• Question: Do diabetes affect the immune system and how?

    Asked by anon-170079 to Ben, Lizzie, Francis, Max, Sian on 8 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Ben Mulhearn

      Ben Mulhearn answered on 8 Mar 2018:

      So, really great question Polly. Diabetes affects the immune system in a number of ways. Firstly, it is itself a disease of the immune system, caused by the attack of cells which produce insulin, in the pancreas. Insulin helps to control our levels of blood sugar, so if we have a lack of insulin our sugar levels can go really high which can itself impact on the immune system. It can do this by changing the way immune cells use ENERGY, known as metabolism. It can also give microbes lots of energy, so that they can grow really fast – in fact people with diabetes are known to have more infections. Going back to the immune system, because diabetes is an AUTOIMMUNE disease, there are other parts of the body which can also be affected, including the thyroid gland (GRAVE’S), and the skin (VITILIGO). Let me know if you want any more info!

    • Photo: Lizzie Wright

      Lizzie Wright answered on 10 Mar 2018:

      Just to clarify Ben’s answer, this cause of the immune system attacking the pancreatic cells is only for Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes happens when the body can no longer produce insulin, or the insulin it does produce is ineffective – generally it becomes worn out from too much sugar or from old age.

      The result of both type 1 and 2 are the same though, as he describes above!

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