Who is at risk for type 1 diabetes?
A. Of the 16 million Americans who have diabetes, approximately 5 percent – as many as 1 million people – have type 1 diabetes. Immediate relatives of people with type 1 diabetes have about a 10 to 20 times greater risk of developing this type of diabetes compared with the general population. Most symptoms of type 1 diabetes do not begin until almost all insulin-producing cells are destroyed by the immune system’s attack. By the time a person is diagnosed, damage to these cells is nearly complete. Type 1 diabetes is a condition that often begins in childhood where the pancreas stops releasing the insulin the body needs to be able to burn sugar for energy. It requires patients to replace the insulin their pancreas stopped making, usually by injection. About five percent of people with diabetes have type 1. Previously known as juvenile onset or insulin-dependent diabetes, type 1 diabetes usually strikes children and young adults. To survive, they need several insulin injections a day or
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