In the prion diseases video, Susan Lindquist explained the importance of protein in our bodies. So I looked up proteopathies, diseases that are caused from the malformation of proteins in the bodies. Prion diseases are a type of proteopathy.
One thing that stood out to me about proteopathy is their often very different symptoms.
A lot of protein problem diseases have neurological symptoms: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease. But others do not: type 2 diabetes, amyloidosis.
In this post, I will look at the role of proteins in type 2 diabetes.
Type II diabetes is the most common type of diabetes (making up 90% of cases). Since 1985, the cases of type II types have risen from 30 million people to 285 million, mostly attributed to the rise of obesity. It is a metabolic disorder that results in high blood sugar because of a lack of insulin. The symptoms of type II diabetes are excess thirst, frequent urination, and constant hunger.
Type II diabetes is caused because beta cells do not produce enough insulin. This means that cells in the liver produce glucose when they do not need to.
Another relation between Type II diabetes and protein is that some doctors recommend patients eat more protein than people with diabetes.
One Response to Proteopathy: Type II Diabetes