Universityof Maryland

Universityof Maryland

Universityof Maryland

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which is a disease that attacks the body's own cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body attacks and destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, the cells that are responsible for producing a hormone called insulin. Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood glucose levels, maintaining a proper balance between glucose and insulin in the bloodstream. If these pancreatic cells are destroyed, an individual will not be able to produce insulin and as a result high blood glucose levels (known as diabetes) occur.

Diabetes is not curable and as with all autoimmune diseases, it has not yet been determined exactly what causes it. However, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, inheritance plays a significant part and there may be an association in the development of type 1 diabetes and a virus.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that there are one to two million people who have Type 1 Diabetes. This form of diabetes was once called Juvenile Diabetes, primarily affected young children between the ages of 10 to 14 years of age. However, in the 1980s, medical researchers concluded that this type of diabetes can affect people of all ages and therefore changed the name from Juvenile Diabetes to type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

Common Symptoms Associated with Type 1 Diabetes:

  • increased thirst
  • increased urination
  • weight loss even with increased appetite
  • nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
  • tiredness,
  • absence of menstruation

Any of the above symptoms could be indicative of diabetes, and therefore a follow up appointment with a physician is necessary for anyone exhibiting a combination of these symptoms. Physicians will perform tests (urine and blood tests) to determine if the early signs of this disease are present. If these tests are positive, physicians will then perform more testing to confirm type1 diabetes as a diagnosis