In many cases, diabetes can affect a person’s hairs, on the head, arms, legs, eyelashes, eyebrows, and other parts of the body, especially the loss of hairs.
The hairs of an average adult without diabetes usually go through an active growth phase (two years or more, growing about 0.39 to 0.79 inch [1 to 2 centimeters] per month).
Next is a resting phase (for a little over three months), and from there, some of the resting hairs fall out.
But if a person has diabetes, these three phases are disrupted, with slower hair growth and/or more hair loss after the resting phase.
This is most often caused by poor circulation to the person’s scalp, which can cause hair loss and slow down hair growth.
Diabetes can also cause excess stress on a person’s body, leading to hair loss. Hair loss can also be caused by medicines to treat diabetes, as well as by other chronic illnesses, such as thyroid disease.
What is alopecia areata?
Alopecia areata often occurs if a person has diabetes (“alopecia” is the medical term for baldness).
In this case, the immune system of the person attacks the hair follicles, causing the hairs all over the body or in specific spots to be lost in patches.
This most often occurs in people with type 1 diabetes.
Although type 2 diabetes is not thought of as an autoimmune disease like type 1, cases of alopecia areata have also been reported.
Research also suggests a genetic component to this condition.
In many cases, if a family member has alopecia areata, then others in the family have a higher risk of developing the condition.
And if the family member also has an autoimmune disease, such as thyroid disease, lupus, or diabetes, then relatives may have an even higher risk of developing alopecia areata.
How many hairs does the average person have on his or her head?
T he amount of hair on the head varies from one individual to another. An average person has about 100,000 hairs on the scalp (blonds 140,000, brunettes 155,000, and redheads only 85,000). Most people shed between 50 to 100 hairs daily.
What are Beau’s lines?
T he side-to-side, deep, grooved lines or ridges on a person’s fingernail or toenail are called Beau’s lines.
This condition was named after French physician Joseph Honoré Simon Beau (1806, 1865), who first described the condition in 1846.
The lines are often caused by a trauma to the nails, medications, and treatments for certain diseases (such as chemotherapy).
It is also an indicator of diabetes.
They are often found on the nails of a person with diabetes and/or a person who is at risk for developing diabetes (it is often seen in people with uncontrolled blood glucose levels).
Do people with diabetes have more toenail problems?
Most people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have more problems than others with their toenails, including ingrown toenails, a fungus, or even foot ulcers.
This is often due to the person’s not noticing a problem with a toenail, mainly because diabetes causes nerve damage (he or she cannot feel the problem) and poorer circulation in the extremities.
In addition, the person may also develop toenail fungus, meaning the nail becomes yellow and thick.
If not treated, such a fungus can lead to a bacterial infection, which is often difficult for a person with diabetes to fight.
This is why people with diabetes should check their feet and toenails regularly.
And if a toenail problem is noticed, then a health care professional (including podiatrists, who are familiar with treating people with diabetes) should be consulted.
Why do some people with diabetes have nails with bumps or ridges?
Bumps or ridges on a fingernail or toenail often indicate a previous injury to the nail, such as a blow (for example, accidentally hitting the fingernail with a hammer). They can also occur in the normal aging process or if a person is malnourished. If a person has diabetes, the nails may also have a profusion of bumps and ridges, mainly because of there is less blood flow to the extremities and/or poorly controlled blood glucose levels.
The Handy Diabetes Answer Book
HOW DIABETES AFFECTS THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM AND DIABETES
What is the endocrine system?
The endocrine system is one of two major regulatory systems that release chemicals in the body (the other one is the nervous system; for more, see the chapter “How Diabetes Affects the Nervous System”). The endocrine system, together with the nervous system, controls and coordinates the functions of all of the human body systems. It contains a group of glands that secrete hormones, all of which help maintain metabolic functions, allow the body to react to stress, and regulate growth, reproduction, and nutrient use by the body’s cells.
What are hormones and hormone receptors?
Hormones, or chemicals made and secreted by endocrine glands, are the main messengers of the endocrine system.
Hormones are transported in the bloodstream to all parts of the body and interact with target cells (cells that contain hormone receptors and respond to a specific hormone in the body), which regulate metabolic rate (including glucose), growth, maturation, and reproduction.
In most cases, hormones produce a specific effect on the activity of cells that are remotely located from the hormones’ point of origin.
Hormone receptors are located either on the surface of a cell’s outer membrane or inside the cell itself (hormone receptors and hormones fit together much like a lock and key).
What are the major endocrine glands and their respective hormones?
The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pineal, and adrenal glands.
Other hormone-secreting organs are the central nervous system (hypothalamus), kidneys, heart, pancreas, thymus, ovaries, and testes.
Some organs, such as the pancreas, secrete hormones as an endocrine function but also have other functions.
The following lists some of the major glands, their target tissues, and their principal function in the body (those directly associated with diabetes are highlighted):
Endocrine Glands and Their Functions
Endocrine Glands and Their Functions
Endocrine Gland/Hormone
Target Tissue
Principal Function
Posterior pituitary
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
Kidneys
Stimulates water reabsorption by kidneys
Oxytocin
Uterus, mammary
Stimulates uterine contractions and glands milk ejection
Anterior pituitary
Growth hormone (GH)
General
Stimulates growth, especially cell division and bone growth
Adrenocorticotropichormone (ACTH)
Adrenal cortex
Stimulates adrenal cortex
Thyroid-stimulating (TSH)
Thyroid gland
Stimulates thyroid hormone
Luteinizing (LH)
Gonads
Stimulates ovaries and testes hormone
Follicle-stimulating (FSH)
Gonads
Controls egg and sperm production
Prolactin (PRL)
Mammary
Stimulates milk production
Melanocyte-stimulating (MSH)
Skin
Regulates skin color in reptiles and hormone amphibians, but has an unknown function in humans
Thyroid
Calcitonin
Bone
Lowers blood-calcium level
Parathyroid
Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
Bone, kidneys, digestive tract
Raises blood-calcium level
Adrenal medulla
Epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
Skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle blood vessels
Initiates stress responses; raises heart rate, blood pressure, metabolic rates; constricts certain blood vessels
Adrenal cortex
Aldosterone
Kidney tubules
Stimulates kidneys to reabsorb sodium and excrete potassium
Cortisol
General
Increases blood glucose
Pancreas
Insulin
Liver
Lowers blood glucose level; stimulates formation and storage of glycogen
Glucagon
Liver, adipose tissue
Raises blood glucose level
Ovary
Estrogens
General; female reproductive structures
Stimulates development of secondary sex characteristics in females and uterine lining
Progesterone
Uterus, breasts
Promotes growth of uterine lining; stimulates breast development
Testes
Androgens (testosterone)
General; male reproductive organs
Stimulates development of male sex structures and spermatogenesis
Pineal gland
Melatonin
Gonads, pigment cells
Involved in daily and seasonal rhythmic activities (circadian cycles); influences pigmentation in some species
The endocrine glands excrete various hormones into the body that control various functions, such as water absorption, growth, and calcium levels in the blood.
What is the hormonal response to stress and its connection to blood glucose?
The stress response has three basic phases: the alarm phase, the resistance phase, and the exhaustion phase.
The alarm phase is an immediate reaction to stress, with epinephrine the dominant hormone.
It is released along with activation of the sympathetic nervous system and produces the “fight or flight” response.
Nonessential body functions such as digestive, urinary, and reproductive activities are inhibited.
The resistance phase follows the alarm phase if the stress lasts more than several hours.
Glucocorticoids (see below) are the dominant hormones of the resistance phase.
Endocrine secretions maintain levels of glucose in the blood by moving fat and protein reserves, conserving glucose for nerve tissues, and synthesizing and releasing glucose by the liver.
If the body does not overcome the stress during the resistance phase, the exhaustion phase begins.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of hormones involved in the resistance phase can lead to the collapse of vital organ systems.
How does the hormone adiponectin affect blood glucose?
Adiponectin is a hormone that is involved in regulating blood glucose levels.
Medically, it is called a protein hormone that is produced and secreted exclusively by the fat cells (called adipocytes).
These fat cells are responsible for regulating the metabolism of lipids (fats) and glucose.
Thus, this hormone influences the body’s response to insulin and also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the cells lining blood vessel walls.
It is usually found in high levels in the bodies of people who are not obese.
It can also be found in people who are obese and some who are overweight (but at much lower levels) and often in people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
ADRENAL GLANDS AND DIABETES
What are the physical characteristics of the adrenal glands?
The adrenal (from the Latin, meaning “upon the kidneys”) glands sit on the upper tip of each kidney.
Each adrenal gland weighs approximately 0.19 ounces (7.5 grams).
The glands are yellow in color and have a pyramid shape.
Each adrenal gland has two sections that may almost be considered as separate glands.
The inner portion is the adrenal medulla (from the Latin, meaning “marrow”).
The outer portion, which surrounds the adrenal medulla, is the adrenal cortex (from the Latin, meaning “bark,” because its appearance is similar to the outer covering of a tree).
The adrenal cortex is the larger part of the adrenal glands, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the gland by weight.
What are the functions of corticosteroids?
The adrenal cortex secretes more than two dozen different steroid hormones called the adrenocortical steroids, or simply corticosteroids. The corticosteroids are vital for life and well-being, with each serving a unique purpose. The following lists the corticosteroids and their functions, including those associated with blood glucose and glycogen (which, in turn, are associated with diabetes):
Corticosteroids and Their Functions
Hormone
Target
Effects
Mineralocorticoids
Kidneys
Increases reabsorption of sodium ions and water from the urine; stimulates loss of potassium ions through excretion of urine
Glucocorticoids
Most cells
Releases amino acids from skeletal muscles, lipids from adipose (fat) tissues; promotes liver glycogen and glucose formation; promotes peripheral utilization of lipids; anti-inflammatory effects