In my family my mother has diabetes, I have Multiple Sclerosis, my husband has asthma, an aunt and a grandmother have celiac disease, and my youngest son has autism and multiple food allergies as well as celiac disease. A geneticist would have a field day with us! I have often ponder...
The Possible Link between Diabetes and Autism
11/14/09 3:19pm
This was an interesting article - I never would have imagined there might be a link. My son is on the autism spectrum, but we don't have a single case of Type I diabetes in either of our families. Several have had Type II, however. It would be great to find a key to the autism mystery, but there are a lot of different things to explore. For instance, some believe that the incidences of autism have increased substantially since immunizations have become standard in the U.S. I don't know what to believe.
One interesting thing I've read about has been the discovery that gastric bypass surgery almost always eliminates Type II diabetes, within a matter of days, and they think it's because of the upper part of the stomach being put out of commission. Certain vitamins and minerals don't get processed very well without whatever enzymes reside in the upper stomach, so there was some speculation on whether or not this surgery could be used to cure people of Type II. Well, this is my first visit to this site, so maybe a lot of people have heard about that already.
11/15/09 10:25am
Hiyah Judy!
No in fact...I hadn't heard that about the gastic bypass surgery. That is very interesting. I am sure the readers here would like to know more about that.
I am not sure why there are so many more people who have autism these days. Some say that we are better at diagnosing this and more higher functioning folk who have Asperger's syndrome are being included in the count. I really don't know. I guess it is something else for the researchers to figure out.
I really appreciate you stopping by to comment and participate in our discussion...thank you!
2/21/10 9:29pm
Very interesting article. I've often wondered if there was a link between my 8-year-old son's autism and diabetes. He was diagnosed with type I diabetes at about 15 months of age. His endocrinologist noticed just after his diabetes diagnosis that my son started to present signs of autism. He is moderately autistic. So, he started both at just about the same time. In fact, it could have been at exactly the same time, but we were all so focused on the diabetes because it was a significant medical condition. At first we assumed the delay we were seeing was a result of the shock of diabetes at such a young age.
We know the rogue white blood cells attack the islet cells in the pancreas, so I've often wondered if somehow those rogue white blood cells might have attacked areas of his brain.
Dr. Faustman of Massachusetts General is working on human trials of a potential cure for Type I diabetes. She cured diabetes in mice and this study was reproduced by an independent laboratory. Lee Iacocca partially funds Dr. Faustman's research.
It's probably very unlikely, but what if her cure, which will destroy the rogue white blood cells allowing the islets cells to grow back, could be a cure for autism. Again, a dream/hope of mine that my family and friends continue to pray to God for.
shannonckerr at gmail dot com
6/13/10 4:45pm
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Not being a researcher or a scientist, but entitled to my opinion from reading, listening, talking to people affected, I definitely feel that many of these condition are autoimmune in nature and that genetics and environment are the catalysts.
How so, though? That remains to be found. Are there a few key ingredients for everyone or are many, varied people affected by a wide range of circumstances? It is such a complex puzzle engineered over so many thousands of years, our evolution into diabetes and autism. I do believe there are connections, so many people afflicted by one seem to have in common, another.
I do hope research finds answers and most important, cures, a way to end the possibility of anyone being stricken. I hope abundant research is taking place! So many conditions we've managed to develop, how could some not have a common bond? Perhaps getting rid of one, will show how to beat others too.
Hi Paul!
I don't know either why some of these co-morbidities exist. I look at the genetics of my family and it makes my head boggle. There must be some common link there to explain some of this stuff.
I hope too that more research will be forthcoming in the future to shed some light on these medical mysteries.
Thank you so much for your comment!
My son has Autism and Type 1 Diabetes. We have no family history on either side of Diabetes. We have a Facebook page called Autism and type 1 Diabetes....if you are also out there please join....I am finding most of our members also do not have a family history of Diabetes......the autoimmune plot thickens.......Courtney Hurford