Boston Researcher Theorizes That Diabetes Evolves Through 6 Stages
From United Press International
Dr. George Eisenbarth, chief of immunology at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, theorizes that type 1 diabetes, the most serious kind, evolves in six stages:
- Inherited susceptibility from birth.
- Environmental triggering due to a single or repeated exposure to viruses or chemicals.
- Immune system abnormalities resulting in initial destruction of some of the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, but with preservation of sufficient insulin reserve.
- Slow loss of beta cell mass.
- Loss of beta cell mass to within 5% to 10% of normal. Symptoms of diabetes appear.
- Complete loss of beta cell reserves, overt diabetes and no insulin secretion.
