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Insulin-producing cells may stop replicating after age 30

Category: Diabetes

Insulin testing may soon become a vital part of many adults' regular healthcare regimen following the findings of a recent study. Researchers discovered that insulin-producing cells stop replicating themselves by early adulthood.

A team of scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found that the body stops creating new beta cells, which are responsible for producing insulin, around the age of 30. This has major implications for people who put on a lot of weight after this point, as the body's insulin production may not be able to keep up with their size.

Lead researcher Bruce Buchholz said that the findings could influence the future of diabetes research. Currently, many investigators are working on ways to get to the body to produce more beta cells. However, Buchholz said that this may not be feasible given the fact that the body does not naturally do this.

"The findings have implications for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes," he said. "The body doesn't make new [beta cells] in adulthood and there might not be enough cells to control blood sugar."