In 2016 8.6% of the population of the United States, in other words, over 20 million adults suffered from diagnosed type 2 diabetes. This is more than 20 times the amount of patients diagnosed with diabetes type 1. Another report from the CDC states that “another 84.1 million have prediabetes, a condition that if not treated often leads to type 2 diabetes within 5 years” What is happening or pancreases?
Despite the prevalence of this disease, it is little understood but patients and observers alike. Often simply labeled as a “fat people’s’ or “old people’s” disease and something they just have to live with. These negative labels could not be much further away from the truth.
Lifestyle Choices, Diet and Co.
Of course, lifestyle choices, diet and co. can be contributing factors to the development of type 2 diabetes. High-fat foods, alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyles all can increase the amount of hormone-active “belly fat” leading to what is called metabolic syndrome. This increases our chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. But more is involved when diabetes type 2 actually arrives.
Insulin Resistance
For years, it was thought that diabetes type 2 started with something called insulin resistance. Meaning that the cells in our tissue no longer reacted enough to the release of insulin and therefore did no metabolize glucose correctly. As a result, the pancreas tries to produce even more insulin, hoping that the cells will start to react. While no one really knows where the insulin resistance comes from, it is thought that chronic low-grade inflammation and high lipids play a role. But science is showing that more is going on.
Recent studies are suggesting that the cell in the pancreas which release insulin, the ß-cells may also failing either at the same time the insulin resistance occurs or that their failure may be the trigger for insulin resistance developing
Pancreas Out of Sync
What we do know is that during the day, the pancreas sends out regular pulses of insulin into our bloodstream. These pulses occur every 5 minutes or so. The accounts for about 70% of the insulin our pancreas produces. The rest is released in bursts as an when we consume carbohydrates. As a countermeasure to this, other cells in our pancreas pulse something called glucagon. Glucagon causes the release of glucose and fatty acids (cell food) into the bloodstream while insulin causes glucose to be stored. They pulse against each other to maintain a healthy balance of sugar and cell food in our bloodstream. The movement of calcium and our autonomic nervous system control these pulses and coordinate the pancreas cells.
Simply put, in diabetes type 2, this pulsing back and forth gets out of sync. Doctors have observed that in type 2 patients the number of insulin-secreting cells is greatly reduced, by up to 65%. As a result, the rest of the ß-cells work harder and secrete more insulin, but the whole pulsating pattern breaks down causing a whole cascade of problems in the pancreas, liver and body tissues.
Retraining the Pancreas
More and more evidence is showing that it is possible to retrain the pancreas and break through the insulin resistance. Pulsatile Intravenous Insulin Therapy or PIVIT has been shown to help the peripheral cells to develop more insulin receptors and to reset the pulsating release of insulin from the pancreas. Studies indicate that this method can help restore the ß-cell function
PIVIT is easily performed in an office setting. Patients are attached to an IV system and controlled amounts of insulin are pulsed into the bloodstream through an IV catheter. During this time the patient is instructed to consume a certain amount of carbohydrates or glucose can be pulsed into the vein. The treatment session usually lasts about three hours. Typically, treatment is performed for 2-3 consecutive days and then on a weekly basis for several weeks. Some patients may benefit from a shorter more intensive and diverse therapy performed in a 2-week window.
All is Not Lost
All in all, PIVIT is showing a lot of promise. Over the weeks during and after treatment, studies show that certain conditions gradually improve. These include:
- better blood glucose control
- increased hypoglycemia awareness
- reduced peripheral neuropathy
- stop or delay in the progression of diabetic kidney disease to end-stage renal disease.
Metabolic Restoration
Combining PIVIT with other supportive therapies may increase and improve treatment outcomes. Studies and clinical observations are showing that some diabetic patis may benefit from the application of stem cells or exosomes. Inflammation control, as well as nutritional and lifestyle canceling, can all contribute to a successful treatment of diabetes type 2.
Sources:
Diabetes Prevalence by Type in the United States: CDC Report. Madeline Morr, April 24.2018, clinicaladvisor.com
Loss of Pulsatile Insulin Secretion: A Factor in the Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes? John Wahren, Åsa Kalls, Diabetes 2012 Sep; 61(9): 2228–2229. Published online 2012 Aug 17. doi: 10.2337/db12-0664
National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017 Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States. CDC
Pulsatile Portal Vein Insulin Delivery Enhances Hepatic Insulin Action and Signaling Diabetes 2012 Sep; 61(9): 2269–2279. Published online 2012 Aug 17. doi: 10.2337/bd11-1462
