There are some diseases other than type 2 diabetes that affect how much insulin you can make, or can actually stop it from working properly. Any of the following diseases can put you at an increased risk of this happening:

1. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas and could be brought on by:

• the result of gallstones. Structure and function of the pancreas is returned to normal following the acute attack
• long-term alcohol use and is characterized by permanent abnormalities of pancreatic function

2. Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary condition that:

• causes body secretions to be excessively thick
• affects cells in the pancreas

3. Hemochromatosis. A disorder of iron metabolism with:

• excessive deposits of iron in the body tissues
• cirrhosis of the liver
• decreased carbohydrate tolerance
• a build up of iron that gradually damages the insulin producing cells

4. Cushing’s Syndrome is a group of serious symptoms caused by over-activity of your adrenal glands which then produce an excess of steroid hormones causing:

• cortisol to stimulate the liver to put out more sugar
• the uptake of glucose by the muscle cells to be blocked

5. Acromegaly in which your adrenal glands overproduce the growth-stimulating hormone:

• the hormones prevent insulin from working properly and this makes your blood sugar level rise
• insulin-sensitivity is reduced and the pancreas is forced to work harder to produce more

6. Hyperthyroidism caused by excessive activity of the thyroid gland:

• is also known as thyrotoxicosis
• causes the liver and other organs to produce large amounts of glucose
• is also a disease of autoimmunity which may play a part in glucose tolerance

Type 2 diabetes develops as a result of many factors and it is not always possible to know exactly why. Having a genetic inheritance is beyond your control, being overweight or inactive may be the result of your lifestyle. No matter what the cause, your diabetes will not go away. There is much you can do to live with it successfully.