Hormones are chemicals that regulate many activities in the body. They are produced by hormone-secreting organs and transported throughout the bloodstream. Hormones affect processes like blood pressure, growth, development, immune responses and glucose production. Diabetes is a chronic disease that interferes with the body's ability to use glucose for energy. It is caused by problems with the hormone, insulin, but it can also be affected or precipitated by other hormones.
Insulin
Insulin is produced by the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. It leads to diabetes, when it is not produced in sufficient quantities, or when it is used inefficiently by the body. During the process of digestion, food is converted into glucose that is sent to the bloodstream. Additionally, glucose provides the cells with energy, so that they can carry out their designated functions. Normally, insulin moves glucose from the bloodstream to cells, but with diabetes, high amounts of glucose remain in the bloodstream as a result of issues with insulin.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Its production is regulated by another hormone called corticotropin, or ACTH. The pituitary gland in the brain produces ACTH and when it is released into the bloodstream, it stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Some of the functions of cortisol include regulating blood pressure, helping the body cope with stress such as surgery or illness, and regulating glucose production. Excessive quantities of cortisol in the body can lead to diabetes because it inhibits the effects of insulin and stimulates the liver to produce glucose. Cushing's syndrome is a condition that occurs when the adrenal glands produce too much cortisol.
Growth Hormone
The pituitary gland produces many hormones including growth hormone. Functions of growth hormone include growth and development of muscles, bones and other organs in the body. Overproduction of this hormone in adults causes a disease called acromegaly. Acromegaly is characterized by thickening and deformation of the bones. "Providing Diabetes Care In General Practice: A Practical Guide to Integrated Care" by Mary MacKinnon suggests that diabetes can be a consequence of acromegaly. The excess in growth hormone that occurs in acromegaly increases blood glucose levels by inhibiting movement of glucose into the cells, and this may then lead to diabetes.
References
- "Providing Diabetes Care In General Practice: A Practical Guide to Integrated Care"; Mary MacKinnon; 2002
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Acromegaly and Gigantism
- "Textbook of type 2 Diabetes"; Barry J. Goldstein, Dirk Müller-Wieland; 2003
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Cushing's Syndrome
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Endocrine Function
