Type 2 diabetes is a chronic and progressive illness. Once developed, it’s there to stay. If it’s left untreated, it will gradually get worse. Over the years, type 2 diabetes has been considered a metabolic condition.
However, recent findings have shown otherwise. This study says: “Chronic low-grade inflammation in T2D has given an impetus to the field of immuno-metabolism linking inflammation to insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Many factors advocate a causal link between metabolic stress and inflammation.”
Autoimmune disease is characterized by inflammation. Since chronic low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, could it be more of an autoimmune disease rather than a metabolic condition?
To answer the question is type 2 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, it’s best to know first what an autoimmune disease is.
The development of an autoimmune illness is the outcome of a malfunctioning immune system in which healthy cells are confused for foreign entities.
What happens is that the immune system attacks the healthy cells throughout the body. Unfortunately, it is not clear what causes the immune system to react in such a destructive manner.
