Pernicious Anemia and How it Relates to Diabetes

Pernicious anemia is a type of anemia where there is a vitamin B12 deficiency. It is sometimes common in a type 1 diabetic due to the fact that it is also an autoimmine disorder. In the body's immune system, there is sometimes an attack on the parietal cells in the stomach. This is how this type of anemia is often caused. The parietal cells make a protein called intrinsic factor, which is the body's helper in absorbing vitamin B12. Thus, when these parietal cells become destroyed, the B12 vitamins will not be absorbed in the correct way they should be. Then the lack of the B12 keeps the red blood cells from dividing normally, causing them to become too large. What happens next is that these cells have trouble leaving the bone marrow. You also need B12 for your nervous system to work in the right way.

Pernicious anemia is a big cause for other medical problems throughout the body. When a person has this type of anemia, the heart has to work a lot harder in order to pump enough blood for nourishments to the tissues inside the body. The heart then, begins to have arrhythimias, and fast beats. This in turn can lead to heart attacks and even strokes. Damage to the nervous system causes other things like numbness, and tingling in both hands and feet. There can be difficulty with keeping your balance, visual changes, memory loss, and mental confusion. Other symptomatology can include loss of appetite, diarrhea, and fatigue.



The good news is that pernicious anemia is eaily treatable with B12 injections. There are people though that sometimes develop some permanent damage in the nerves before they are diagnosed. But if caught early, damages are unlikely to happen.

There are several other autoimmune diseases that can happen in combination because type 1 is an autoimmune disease and a trigger for these problems. Thyroiditis is also in that category of autoimmune problems along with Graves disease. I will do more articles on these problems and put links to them on this page so that people may learn how they tie in to diabetes.