Type
1 Diabetes
According to statistics, of the
more than 21 million people with diabetes in the United States,
about 5 percent to 10 percent have type 1 diabetes. Although type
1 diabetes can develop at any age, it most commonly appears in children,
adolescents and young adults. About one of every 400 to 600 children
and adolescents in the United States has type 1 diabetes.
What causes type 1 Diabetes?
In type 1 diabetes, the body has little or no insulin because the
immune system - which normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses
- has attacked and destroyed the insulin-producing cells in the
pancreas, a gland located just behind the stomach.
Researchers believe that factors such as genetics, diet and exposure
to certain viruses all may be involved in triggering type 1 diabetes.
Because type 1 diabetes typically appears in the wake of an infection,
the immune attack on insulin-producing cells may be a consequence
of the immune system's reaction to the earlier infection. Abnormal
antibodies have been found in the majority of patients with type
1 diabetes. Antibodies are proteins in the blood that are part of
the body's immune system.
In persons with type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas,
which are responsible for insulin production, are attacked by the
misdirected immune system. It is believed that the tendency to develop
abnormal antibodies in type 1 diabetes is, in part, genetically
inherited. Exposure to certain viral infections, like mumps and
Coxsackie viruses or other environmental toxins may serve to trigger
abnormal antibody responses that cause damage to the pancreas cells
where insulin is made. These antibodies can be measured in the majority
of patients, and may help determine which individuals are at risk
for developing type 1 diabetes.
Lack of insulin results in diabetes
because of the vital role insulin plays in making glucose - the
body's fuel - available to cells. During digestion, your body transforms
the carbohydrates from food into different types of sugar molecules.
One of these sugar molecules is glucose, the main energy source
for your body. Glucose is absorbed directly into your bloodstream
after you eat, but it can't enter your cells without the help of
insulin.
The pancreas normally produces insulin continuously, raising its
output in response to the increase in blood sugar that occurs after
you eat. This extra insulin "unlocks" your cells so that
more sugar can enter, providing your body with energy as well as
maintaining a normal level of sugar in your blood. When your pancreas
functions normally, your blood glucose fluctuates in response to
exercise, stress, infections, food and a variety of other factors.
But your hormonal system - including but not limited to the insulin-producing
pancreas - continuously makes complex adjustments that keep your
blood sugar levels within set limits.
Those with type 1 diabetes must rely on insulin medication for survival.
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