Diabetes mellitus type 1 is an autoimmune disease which destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. The beta cells produce insulin which is a hormone which is released when blood sugar gets too high, without it a person can suffer from the effects of hyperglycaemia. What a lot of people don't know is that the alpha cells in the pancreas can also be destroyed which leads to a person not being able to produce the hormone glycagon, glycagon is released when blood sugar gets too low, without it a person can suffer from the effects of hypoglycaemia. So if a person with diabetes mellitus has both their alpha and beta cells destroyed they cannot regulate either low or high blood sugar levels.
What is type one diabetes?
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Diabetes mellitus type 1 is an autoimmune disease which destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. The beta cells produce insulin which is a hormone which is released when blood sugar gets too high, without it a person can suffer from the effects of hyperglycaemia. What a lot of people don't know is that the alpha cells in the pancreas can also be destroyed which leads to a person not being able to produce the hormone glycagon, glycagon is released when blood sugar gets too low, without it a person can suffer from the effects of hypoglycaemia. So if a person with diabetes mellitus has both their alpha and beta cells destroyed they cannot regulate either low or high blood sugar levels.