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Conditions InDepth: Type 1 DiabetesMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Complications | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Type 1 Diabetes | Resource Guide Type 1 diabetes is a disorder caused by the body’s inability to produce sufficient insulin to meet bodily needs. Insulin is a hormone normally produced by the pancreas. The body needs this hormone to convert food into energy. Without insulin, glucose (sugar) from the food you eat cannot enter cells. This causes glucose to build up in the blood, leaving your body cells and tissues starved for energy. While a variety of tissue transplantation techniques are under development and some genetically-based treatments have been proposed, at this point in time, the only widely-available treatment for type 1 diabetes is the injection of insulin.
The Pancreas © 2009 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 500,000 to 1 million people in the US have type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes usually begins in childhood and young adulthood between 8-12 years of age. It was previously called juvenile diabetes, but the name was changed to type 1 diabetes since adults, as well as children, can develop this disease. In the United States, type 1 diabetes is one of the most frequently diagnosed chronic diseases of children. According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, each year approximately 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, over 13,000 of whom are children—35 children every day. There are two forms of type 1 diabetes: Immune-mediated Diabetes —This type of diabetes is caused by the attack and destruction of insulin-producing cells (beta cells) in the pancreas by the body's immune system. In people who may be genetically predisposed to this disease, exposure to factors in the environment may trigger the immune system response. The trigger may be a virus, a food, a chemical, or a drug. Immune-mediated diabetes is the most common form of type 1 diabetes Idiopathic Type 1 Diabetes —this is a rare form of the disease. It may be inherited, but the precise cause remains unknown. The key to controlling diabetes is maintaining your blood sugar level (fasting and after meals) within a healthful range. This is done with a combination of insulin therapy, diet, and exercise. When your blood sugar levels are not within the ideal range, diabetes can cause the following problems: In the short-term:
In the long-term:
What are the risk factors for type 1 diabetes?
References: American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/home.jsp . Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International website. Available at: http://www.jdrf.org/ . National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases website. Available at: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/ . Last reviewed November 2008 by David Juan, MD Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © 2009 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.
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