National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Pancreatic Diseases is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
The pancreas is a gland behind your stomach and in front of your spine. It produces juices that help break down food and hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Problems with the pancreas can lead to many health problems. These include
The pancreas also plays a role in diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has attacked them. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)