Type 1 Diabetes

This type of diabetes is chronic and develops in younger people but can be diagnosed in young adults as well. Only about 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even young children can learn to manage their condition and live a long, healthy life.

Diagnosis of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, includes a fasting blood glucose higher than 126 mg/dl, a random blood sugar of 200 mg/dl or higher with symptoms of hyperglycemia, an abnormal 2-hour glucose-tolerance test and/or a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 6.5% or higher.

The causes of type 1 diabetes are unknown but genetic and environmental factors contribute to the disease. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that makes insulin. The body treats beta cells as foreign invaders and destroys them, which can result in little to no insulin for the body. Insulin is a hormone in the body required to move sugar into the cells for energy. Lack of insulin in the body leads to high sugar levels in the body.

Complications occur when blood sugar in the body is uncontrolled or is not treated over long periods of time. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to several complications, such as amputations and nerve damage, kidney or eye problems, heart disease, and stroke to name a few.