What is Type 1 diabetes?
Your body needs fuel for energy. Through digestion, the carbohydrates that we consume are eventually broken down, or converted, into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose then passes into the bloodstream where it becomes available for the body to use for growth and energy. For glucose to be used by cells in the body, a hormone produced by the pancreas, called insulin, is needed. In diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, or the cells throughout the body are unable to respond to the insulin that is produced. The end result is a buildup of glucose in the blood, which eventually spills over into the urine. Elevated blood glucose levels are responsible for many health problems associated with diabetes. There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes • Also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes. • In this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. • Treatment always involves injections of insulin along with d
Type 1 diabetes may also be known by a variety of other names, including the following: • insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) • juvenile diabetes • brittle diabetes • sugar diabetes There are two forms of type 1 diabetes: • idiopathic type 1 diabetes – refers to rare forms of the disease with no known cause. • immune-mediated diabetes – an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system destroys, or attempts to destroy, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Immune-mediated diabetes is the most common form of type 1 diabetes, and the one generally referred to as type 1 diabetes. The information on this page refers to this form of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes in the US. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children or young adults, but can start at any age.
Type 1 Diabetes is the condition that results from the destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Lacking enough insulin prevents glucose from gaining access to the cell and results in an accumulation of glucose in the body. This accumulation results in elevation of the blood sugar. In addition, the inability to transport glucose from outside the cell to inside the cell results in the cells experiencing starvation in spite of the enormous intake of food that is typical of Type 1 Diabetes at the time of diagnosis. The destruction of the insulin producing cells is brought about by an inappropriate attack of the type of immune cells normally involved in fending off viral infections. There is no infection present in the insulin producing cells, but these near-sighted immune cells react as if there is indeed an infection.
Type 1 Diabetes is the condition that results from the destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Lacking enough insulin prevents glucose from gaining access to the cell and results in an accumulation of glucose in the body. This accumulation results in elevation of the blood sugar. In addition, the inability to transport glucose from outside the cell to inside the cell results in the cells experiencing starvation in spite of the enormous intake of food that is typical of Type 1 Diabetes at the time of diagnosis. The destruction of the insulin producing cells is brought about by an inappropriate attack of the type of immune cells normally involved in fending off viral infections. There is no infection present in the insulin producing cells, but these near-sighted immune cells react as if there is indeed an infection. The destructive process is usually slow, taking a matter of years to destroy a sufficient number of cells to render the victim incapable of making enough
Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the glucose (sugar) from food cannot enter body cells to be used for energy. This occurs because the body produces too little of a hormone called insulin. Insulin is needed to move glucose out of your blood into cells. The illness used to be called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Normally, insulin is made by special cells (beta cells) in the pancreas. This organ is connected to the intestines. It helps to digest food. After insulin enters the blood, it helps body cells to absorb glucose from the blood. Most cells use glucose immediately as fuel. Liver cells can store it for future use. In people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. Therefore, the disease is referred to as an “autoimmune” disease. After the beta cells are gone, the body no longer can make insulin. As a result of type 1 diabetes, muscle cells and other tissues do not have normal energy. Sugar builds up in the blood. The extr
