Type 1 Diabetes – NIDDK

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What is type 1 diabetes?

Diabetes occurs when blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes mainly from the food you eat. Insulinto hormone made by him pancreas, helps glucose in your blood get into your cells to be used for energy. another hormone, glucagonworks with insulin to control blood glucose levels.

In most people with type 1 diabetes, the body immune system, which normally fights infection, attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. As a result, your pancreas stops making insulin. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter cells and blood glucose rises above normal. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin shots every day to stay alive.

Who is more likely to develop type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes typically occurs in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. Having a parent or sibling with the disease can increase your chance of developing type 1 diabetes. In the United States, about 5 percent of people with diabetes have type 1.¹

What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are severe and usually come on quickly, over a few days or weeks. Symptoms may include

• increased thirst and urination
• increased hunger
• blurry vision
• fatigue
• unexplained weight loss

Sometimes the first symptoms of type 1 diabetes are signs of a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Some symptoms of DKA include

• fruity smelling breath
• dry or red skin
• nausea either vomiting
• stomachache
• difficulty breathing
• difficulty paying attention or feeling confused

CAD is serious and dangerous. If you or your child have symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis, contact your health care professional right away or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

What causes type 1 diabetes?

Experts believe that type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as virus, which could trigger the disease. Researchers are working to identify the causes of type 1 diabetes through studies such as TrialNet.

How do health professionals diagnose type 1 diabetes?

Health professionals generally test people for type 1 diabetes if they have clear symptoms of diabetes. Health professionals use the most frequently random plasma glucose (RPG) test to diagnose type 1 diabetes. This blood test measures your blood glucose level at a single point in time. Sometimes health professionals also use the A1C blood test to find out how long someone has had high blood glucose levels.

Although these tests can confirm that you have diabetes, they cannot identify which type you have. Treatment depends on the type of diabetes, so it’s important to know if you have type 1 or type 2.

To find out if you have type 1 diabetes, your health care professional may test your blood for certain autoantibodies. The autoantibodies are antibodies that attack your healthy cells and tissues by mistake. The presence of certain types of autoantibodies is common in type 1 diabetes but not in type 2 diabetes.

Because type 1 diabetes can run in families, your health care professional may test your family members for autoantibodies. Type 1 diabetes TrialNet, an international research network, also offers autoantibody testing of family members of people diagnosed with the disease. The presence of autoantibodies, even without symptoms of diabetes, means that the family member is more likely to develop type 1 diabetes. If you have a brother or sister, child, or parent with type 1 diabetes, you may want to be tested for autoantibodies. People age 20 and younger who have a cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, or half-sibling with type 1 diabetes may also want to get tested.

What medications do I need to treat my type 1 diabetes?

If you have type 1 diabetes, you must use insulin because your body no longer produces this hormone. Different insulin types they begin to work at different rates, and the effects of each last for a different length of time. You may need to use more than one type. Can take insulin in various ways. Common options include a needle and syringe, insulin peneither insuline bomb.

Some people who have trouble reaching their blood glucose targets with insulin alone may also need to take another type of diabetes medicine that works with insulin, such as pramlintide. Pramlintide, given by injection, helps prevent blood glucose levels from getting too high after eating. However, few people with type 1 diabetes take pramlintide. The NIH recently funded a large research study to test the use of pramlintide along with insulin and glucagon in people with type 1 diabetes. Another diabetes medication, metformin, can help decrease the amount of insulin you need to take, but it is more studies are needed to confirm this. Researchers are also studying other diabetes pills that people with type 1 diabetes might take along with insulin.

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can occur if you take insulin but do not combine your dose with food or physical activity. Severe hypoglycemia can be dangerous and must be treated immediately. More information about hypoglycemia and how to prevent or treat it.

How else can I manage type 1 diabetes?

Along with insulin and any other medications you use, you can control your diabetes taking care of you every day. Following your diabetes meal plan, being physically active, and checking your blood glucose regularly are some of the ways you can take care of yourself. Work with your health care team to create a diabetes care plan that works for you. If you are planning a pregnancy with diabetestry to keep your blood glucose levels in your target range before you get pregnant

Do I have other treatment options for my type 1 diabetes?

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has played an important role in the development of “artificial pancreas” technology. An artificial pancreas replaces manual blood glucose testing and the use of insulin injections. A single system monitors blood glucose levels throughout the day and delivers insulin or a combination of insulin and glucagon automatically. The system can also be monitored remotely, for example by parents or medical personnel.

In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a type of artificial pancreas system called a closed-loop hybrid system. This system tests your glucose level every 5 minutes during the day and night through a continuous glucose monitorand automatically gives you the correct amount of basal insulin, a long-acting insulin, through a separate insulin pump. You still need to manually adjust the amount of insulin your pump delivers at mealtimes and when you need a correction dose. You will also need to test your blood with a glucose meter several times a day. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether this system might be right for you.

The illustration below shows the parts of one type of artificial pancreas system.

The continuous glucose monitor sends information through a software program called a control algorithm. Based on your glucose level, the algorithm tells the insulin pump how much insulin to deliver. The software program may be installed on the pump or on another device, such as a cell phone or computer.

Starting in late 2016 and early 2017, the NIDDK has funded several important studies on different types of artificial pancreas devices to better help people with type 1 diabetes manage their disease. The devices can also help people with type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

NIDDK is also supporting research in pancreatic islet transplantation—an experimental treatment for difficult-to-control type 1 diabetes. Pancreatic islets are groups of cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes attacks these cells. A pancreatic islet transplant replaces the destroyed islets with new ones that make and release insulin. This procedure takes islets from an organ donor’s pancreas and transfers them into a person with type 1 diabetes. Because pancreatic islet transplantation is still being studied by researchers, the procedure is only available to people enrolled in a study. learn more about islet transplant studies.

What health problems can people with type 1 diabetes develop?

Over time, high blood glucose levels cause problems such as

• heart disease
• stroke
• nephropathy
• eye problems
• dental disease
• nerve damage
• foot problems
• depression
• Sleep apnea

If you have type 1 diabetes, you can help prevent or delay the health problems of diabetes monitoring your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and following your self-care plan.

Can I reduce my chance of developing type 1 diabetes?

At this time, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. However, through studies like TrialNet, researchers are working to identify possible ways to prevent or delay the disease.

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