<p>It’s not very common for someone of Brittany’s age and weight to have type II diabetes. That is usually found in overweight individuals, and many of them can control it with diet and oral meds. Some have to have insulin, but they are not the majority with type II. Most type II diabetics can completely “cure” their diabetes by losing weight. She certainly doesn’t fit the usual profile for type II. I wonder if there was a miscommunication. It’s far more likely that she suffered from Type 1 diabetes. That would explain how she could really get herself into trouble with vomiting/flu/and continuing to take insulin.</p>
<p>As for the comment that no one dies from diabetes…I’ve seen many people die in the hospital from diabetic coma/ketoacidosis. So it does indeed happen.</p>
<p>While you’re correct that it’s unusual for Type II diabetics to be thin, there is a little understood phenomenon that some people call “thin type II”. It happens. </p>
<p>She was also at that age where she may have initially been diagnosed as Type II because her pancreas was still producing some insulin but then it stopped completely leading to Type I. I was diagnosed in my late 20’s and my doc thinks that’s what happened with me - initially the pancreas was still sputtering producing some insulin then it shut down completely.</p>
<p>Just being diagnosed with diabetes puts you at something like double the risk for heart attack.</p>
<p>I read that her husband passed out on the plane when they were returning from the film shoot when she was retired. Occam’s Razor tells me that drugs were behind this.</p>
<p>My husband has type 2 diabetes that is definitely weight related. It also runs in his side of the family. My daughter was already showing the early signs of insulin resistance at 19 when she had some bloodwork done and she was not overweight at the time. We also have an acquaintance who is not at all overweight who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes right after my husband was. We were very surprised - the day he was diagnosed his blood sugar was very high - I seem to recall something like 500ish.</p>
<p>Brittany was always very thin. I stage managed a show she was in around age 11 or 12. She was very thin, looked younger than her age and had very long legs even then. </p>
<p>I remember her as being accident prone and having a very devoted mother - who did not come across as a typical stage mother.</p>
<p>Apparently her mother is the one who found her because she became concerned that Brittany had been in the bathroom a long time so went in to check on her. So tragic for a parent to go through that.</p>
<p>“Most type II diabetics can completely “cure” their diabetes by losing weight.”</p>
<p>Not to play the Word Police here, but this is wrong. You can completely CONTROL your diabetes by losing weight, but the diabetes is still there. It’s not gone. Your blood glucose level will still skyrocket if you eat those brownies…</p>
<p>By the way - Type II diabetic here with a BMI of 23.</p>
<p>My mother has severe type II diabetes. She is also overweight. I began to show symptoms of pre-diabetes when I gained weight. I was not clinically overweight, but I was heavier than I’ve ever been before, primarily in the abdominal area (apple figure). When I lost the weight, my symptoms disappeared. I just cannot tolerate excessive weight, even though according to all the clinical markers, I was not overweight. For ME, diabetes is weight related. </p>
<p>Another critical piece in resolving insulin resistance is daily vigorous exercise. That, diet, and weight control can control or even totally resolve insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in many susceptible individuals. Unfortunately, some people don’t respond to these measures as well as others. But the majority of us benefit from the diet and exercise changes even if we can’t all get off the meds. Blood sugar control is still a little easier for diabetics who monitor their diets, keep their weight down, and exercise daily.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, my BMI was 23.4 and I had symptoms of insulin resistance. Fortunately, by getting my BMI down to 19, my symptoms are gone. As already stated, however, there are a small minority of perfectly thin people with Type II diabetes. They are the exception.</p>
<p>I purposely put quotation marks around the word “cure” for a reason. In individuals for whom excess weight is the cause of their diabetes, (people who have elevated levels of RBP4), losing weight eliminates all symptoms of diabetes. Those people CAN eat the occasional brownies and have no difference in their blood sugar behavior than a normal person. Anyone who eats a brownie will experience a spike in blood sugar, but insulin will take care of this in non-diabetics. People who acquire diabetes as a result of being overwieght will find that if their weight goes back up, so do their levels of RPB4 and their diabetes returns.</p>
<p>People who are not overweight yet still have type II diabetes are not the ones whose RPB4 levels are effecting their blood sugar behavior. Their pathology has a different cause, likely genetic predisposition.</p>
<p>As for those people who completely eliminate all symptoms of diabetes simply by losing weight and exercising, the words “cure” or “control” are merely differences of syntax. Those living symptom-free after coping with Type 2 diabetes aren’t likely to care about the technical difference.</p>
<p>Today’s paper said it was the husband who found her. It also said she’d been feeling unwell for a while. Tragically, when I was in high school, a student with Type 1 diabetes died after contracting the flu. Even a cold can totally throw a diabetic off with blood sugar. Also, I’d agree with the poster who said her diabetes might have been Type I masking as Type II. My pediatrician (also an endocrinologist) says that there is a theory that there is a third type of diabetes that is somewhere between I and II – usually II that is progressing to I where the pancreas is shutting down. It is starting to sound like a series of unfortunate circumstances led to this tragedy. Very sad.</p>
<p>^^^^Makes a lot of sense. Take diabetes, add the flu, not eating or vomiting up what you do try to eat, and insulin and you can end up in a whole lot of trouble. It does seem plausible, although I know with Hollywood actors and actresses the assumption is often made and often correct that drugs were involved. It is indeed very sad.</p>
<p>My H best friend died early this year- although he had Type 1 diabetes, and since he was on Medicaid, instead of private health ins, because of severe neuropathy which restricted his ability to work, they changed his type of insulin to one that was cheaper from one that had been improving his health.</p>
<p>He was just 51- exactly my age and he had never been overweight.</p>
<p>While some people have more success managing it, it seems to be a severe disease, which can affect many of the body’s systems.</p>
<p>It sounds like it also could have been behind her mood swings.</p>