Type 1 Diabetes

What is Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes has also been called "juvenile diabetes" as well as "insulin dependant diabetes" and is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, though some studies are showing a higher incidence in adults than previously believed. Type 1 arises when the body fails to produce insulin, the hormone that makes it possible for glucose to enter and fuel the cells of the body. Estimates say from 5-10% of American diabetics have type 1.

With proper management, people with type 1 diabetes can live long, healthy and happy lives.

An understanding of type 1 diabetes and its associated conditions and potential complications, as well as management issues such as insulin, blood glucose meters, managing and self-testing blood sugar, and diagnostic and ongoing care issues like diagnostic blood tests, kidney and islet transplants and what can be expected from health care providers can all be important tools in living with type 1 diabetes.

Concerns

Some of the conditions commonly associated with type 1 diabetes are hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), ketoacidosis (dangerously high levels of acids that build up in the blood called ketones) and celiac disease (a disorder causing toxic reaction to gluten).

Type 1 diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy) and kidney damage (nephropathy).

Treatment

Type 1 diabetes is currently treated via insulin replacement therapy as well as ongoing monitoring and management of blood glucose levels. Insulin is delivered via injection or insulin pump (delivers preset levels over an extended period).

Research is being done in beta cell replacement, but these treatments are not currently clinicly available.

A Future Cure?

There is a lot of reasearch being done into potential cures for type 1 diabetes. These include:

Pancreas Transplantation - Pancreas transplants involve implanting all or part of a healthy pancreas, usually without removing the existing pancreas. Because of the requirement of toxic immunosuppressants after the transplant, these are generally only performed in cases of where the patient has extreme diabetes related complications and the need outweighs the risks involved.

Islet Cell Transplantation - Islet cell transplants are less invasive than pancreas transplants and look promising as a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. Studies show that islet cells injected into the patient's pancreas or liver will multiply and begin to produce insulin. The liver is more accessible than the pancreas and may be the more popular target should the procedure become more common. Islet cell transplants also require immunosuppresants to prevent the body from attacking the introduced cells and the associated risks.

Other - Other research has been done in areas of genetic engineering, development of an artificial pancreas and immune modification to stop T cells from attacking implanted islet cells. Several studies have also used stem cells to grow healthy islet cells. These grown islet cells have thus far been transplanted in animals with success.

Lifestyle

If you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, first and foremost, talk to your health care provider about management options. Also discuss lifestyle and dietary changes you may want to consider as well as eye, foot and skin care and heart and oral health. If you smoke, stop. If you drink, cut down and again, speak with your health care provider. Your lifestyle can play an important role in delaying or preventing type 1 diabetes complications.