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September 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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The Pancreas
Important gland plays
a dual role
By Regina Walker, LCSW, BCD, CASAC,
Staff Writer
The pancreas is a gland, located
in the abdomen, that is responsible
for producing the hormone insulin.
Insulin is integral for the regulation of
blood sugar levels.
The pancreas has dual roles; it is
an organ of both the digestive system
and the hormonal (endocrine) system.
Once food has been “mulched” and
partially digested by the stomach, it is
pushed into the duodenum (the first
part of the small intestine). The pancreas adds its own digestive juices and
enzymes to the food via a small duct
attached to the duodenum. This process belongs to the exocrine pancreas.
The production of insulin is the role
of the endocrine pancreas. So for such
a small organ (the pancreas measures
around 25 cm in length), it serves
important purposes in our bodies.
When people hear “insulin,” they
think of diabetes. Diabetes is the result
of an insulin deficiency found in the
endocrine tissue of the pancreas. In
people with type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces insulin, but the body
is not able to use it. Muscle, fat and
liver cells do not respond to the insulin
properly. This condition is known as
insulin resistance. People with insulin
resistance need more insulin to help
glucose enter the cells. The pancreas
tries to keep up with the increased
demand for insulin, but eventually fails
to do so. This causes excess glucose
to build up in the bloodstream. Over
time, the effects of repeated high blood
glucose levels will damage beta cells,
further reducing the pancreas’ ability
to produce insulin.
Another pancreas-related disease
is pancreatitis, which simply means
inflammation of the pancreas. It is a
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problem primarily for heavy drinkers.
Acute pancreatitis often requires medical treatment, but long-term prevention of pancreatitis most often centers
around cessation of alcohol abuse.
A third problem with the pancreas is
pancreatic cancer. The rates of pancreatic cancer have been slowly increasing
over the past 15 years. The American
Association for Cancer Research’s
journal estimates by 2030, pancreatic
cancer will be the second leading cause
of cancer deaths in the United States.
Why is pancreatic cancer increasing and what can we do to address it?
Much of the rise can be attributed to
the prevalence of obesity and diabetes.
Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical offi-
cer of the American Cancer Society,
said, “Many Americans are not aware
that the combination of obesity, high
caloric intake and lack of physical
activity is the second leading cause
of cancer in the United States. [This
combination] is linked to at least 12
types of cancer. This is an American
problem ... The rise in pancreatic cancer is not as severe as in Europe, where
obesi