Understanding and Managing Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome

Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome, also known as IAS, is a pretty rare condition typical for the endocrine system. It’s characterized by recurrent hypoglycemia, which increases insulin serum significantly, as well as positive insulin autoantibodies. In recent years, more and more people have been diagnosed with this condition, which is why it’s so important to highlight it to others and discuss all the vital nuances. The main issue here is the fact that IAS is quite tricky to diagnose, which is why it’s so difficult sometimes to find it on time to start the proper treatment. Let’s dive into the article together to highlight all the nuances!

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A Few Words on the Origin of Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome

Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome is also known as Hirata disease, and its main characteristic is the presence of autoantibodies against endogenous insulin. The issue causes episodes of autoimmune hypoglycemia without prior exposure insulin secretagogues. IAS was first described by Dr. Yasuhiro Hirata in 1970, and even though it is spread throughout the world, commonly Asians are diagnosed with this disease.

The best way to describe IAS is this: extra insulin autoantibodies are produced, and they bind to endogenous insulin, which creates a type of reservoir of insulin-antibody complexes. Then, during the times when a person experiences low blood glucose levels, insulin is released from those complexes, causing a sudden and unpredictable drop in one’s blood sugar levels. Because of that, people may experience episodes of recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, also known as autoimmune hypoglycaemia, which has a significant effect on one’s life quality.

What Are the Main Causes of IAS?

Several factors may trigger Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome, and it’s important to remember the main reasons to ensure you catch the issue on its early stages. Here’s what we would like to point out:

• Genetic predisposition. It’s important to know the family health history to understand potential future risks, possible issues, as well as the ways to take those under control on time;
• Certain medications intake. It includes a specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles, as well as drugs that contain sulfhydryl groups, namely penicillamine, methimazole, and captopril. They can induce some changes in insulin, this way promoting the formation of insulin receptor autoantibodies;
• Autoimmune disorders. Individuals with autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), autoimmune thyroid diseases, and other autoimmune diseases are under the increased risk of experiencing IAS;
• External triggers. Even though this issue is not as common as the others, it should still be considered as a potential trigger of IAS. They may affect the immune system functioning, leading to this rare disease;
• Idiopathic. Sometimes it’s impossible to define what exactly triggered the disease, which only proves the complexity of the immune system and its functioning.

To understand all the peculiarities better, we highly recommend having regular checkups at the doctor’s office to diagnose the condition on time.

The Signs of Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome

People with severe insulin resistance caused by anti-insulin antibodies should be aware of the main signs of IAS to understand when it’s time to visit your healthcare professional. Here are the most common ones that must be mentioned and remembered:

• Adrenergic symptoms. These are mainly related to the sympathetic nervous system as a reaction to low blood sugar levels and include extreme hunger, sweating, tremor, anxiety, etc.;
• Neuroglycopenic symptoms. These are triggered by the inadequate glucose supply to one’s brain, leading to such issues as dizziness, confusion, visual impairment, seizures, and others;
• Laboratory results. If you have recently done a blood test, two things may be warning signs: elevated insulin levels, as well as high titers of insulin autoantibodies. Your doctor should help you read the results correctly;
• The presence of other autoimmune disorders. Rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, and some other similar conditions may put you at risk of experiencing Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome;
• Recent changes in a medical plan. If you’ve recently changed medications aimed at the improvement of insulin release, you may experience unexpected complications, IAS being one of them.

If you notice any of these symptoms, we highly recommend you talk to a specialist about them to ensure nothing threatens your health.

How to Test for Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome?

• Clinical evaluation. Visit your doctor if you notice any warning signs that may mean you have the IAS. You’ll have to go through the blood test and checkups;
• Laboratory tests. Such tests as blood glucose measurement, C-peptide levels, oral glucose tolerance test, insulin levels and others may help with answering all the essential questions regarding your conditions. Don’t forget that haplotype in insulin autoimmune syndrome induced by alpha-lipoic acid is used as a dietary supplement;
• Insulin autoantibody testing. If insulin autoantibodies are detected in your blood, you probably have IAS, and there cannot be any differential diagnosis. High levels of those prove that the diagnosis is correct.

IAS Treatment Options

When treating IAS, the main focus must be on managing hypoglycemic episodes, as well as avoiding potential triggers. Here are the main treatment options used in therapy:

• Work on your dietary habits. Try eating small, frequent meals to prevent sudden drops in blood glucose levels. Also, you may eliminate simple carbohydrates in your diet to prevent rapid blood sugar spikes;
• Invest in high-quality medication control. Discuss the drugs that can potentially trigger IAS with your doctor and pick out a safer option for your needs. On top of that, you may think about the medicines that modulate the immune system to reduce the amount of autoantibodies.

Some other things that may be helpful include having regular checkups in the doctor’s office, having blood tests on a regular basis, and incorporating certain lifestyle modifications, such as exercising more or trying to reduce stress levels in daily life.

The Summary

Properly-regulated insulin secretion is a vital thing for maintaining strong and healthy, avoiding numerous problems, such as diabetes mellitus, blood sugar spikes, and other issues. As the number of people suffering from Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome only grows, knowing the essentials about this condition is crucial to diagnosing the problem on time and creating the most efficient treatment plan together with a medical professional. Among the most helpful solutions are, of course, medicines aimed at decreasing pancreatic insulin secretion, immunosuppressants, as well as not really common plasma exchange that must help with removing anti-insulin antibodies from the organism. If you suspect that you may have this issue or need a proper treatment plan to control the condition, please, visit your doctor to discuss all the essentials. And if you need a place to buy the best-quality insulin from – Insulin.Store is always here to assist and provide you with the most advantageous products!