In the simplest terms, the causes of diabetic ketoacidosis are all boiled down to dehydration. If a person is experiencing insulin deficiency and high levels of blood sugar along with the organic acids referred to as ketones, the body’s own chemistry becomes severely disturbed. It occurs most often in people with type 1 diabetes, and in that group, people under the age of 25 are affected most.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis Causes

The causes of diabetic ketoacidosis are a little more involved than dehydration, however. When a person becomes dehydrated, a stress response is invoked that breaks down muscle, fat, and liver cells into glucose and fatty acids to use as energy. The breakdown is caused by hormones including glucagon, growth hormone, and adrenaline. The fatty acids are converted into ketones by oxidation. This whole process doesn’t happen in normal people upon dehydration because the hormones are stopped by insulin. But …