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Overview
One of the most common diseases which affects the pancreas is insulin dependent diabetes, or type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is the result of an autoimmune attack on the islet cells which produce insulin. The resultant lack of insulin leads to excess blood sugar levels in the blood and a variety of health problems including visual disturbances (diabetic retinopathy), heart disease, nerve disorders (diabetic neuropathy), and kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy). Diabetic patients must take insulin everyday.
Review Date 9/9/2023
Updated by: Debra G. Wechter, MD, FACS, General Surgery Practice Specializing in Breast Cancer, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.