Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Type I diabetes, which was previously known as childhood diabetes, juvenile (or juvenile-onset) diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is caused by the body’s inability to produce sufficient insulin. The exact reason for this inability remains a mystery but there is almost certainly an underlying genetic cause which is probably triggered by a number of environmental factors.

Insulin is necessary for normal metabolism and is used to transfer glucose, which is produced during the process of food digestion and which forms one of the body’s main sources of energy, from the blood and into the cells of the body. In healthy individuals insulin is produced by cells, known as beta-cells, within the pancreas but, in cases of type I diabetes, these cells become damaged and production is either reduced or ceases altogether.

Type I diabetes was previously known as childhood or juvenile diabetes because it most often first appears in children over the age of 4 and is especially seen with the arrival of early adolescence and puberty around 12 or 13 years of age. This said, type I diabetes can also appear in adults and is not at all uncommon in people in their late 30s and early 40s, although the onset at this age tends to be somewhat less marked than that seen in children.

Approximately one million Americans suffer from type I diabetes, which represents something between 5% and 10% of the total number of Americans suffering both forms (type I and type II) of the disease. Annually, in the region of 10,000 new cases of type I diabetes are diagnosed in the United States. Type I diabetes is more commonly seen in men than it is in women and is also more prevalent among non-Hispanic whites, African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

Although type I diabetes is not in itself life-threatening, it accounts for a significant number of deaths, particularly premature deaths, as a result of complications arising from the condition. These can include heart disease, cerebral vascular disease, vascular disease and gangrene in the lower limbs, renal disease, visual difficulty and blindness.

There are a range of symptoms which can accompany the onset of type I diabetes and the most common early symptoms resulting from a buildup of glucose in the blood are excessive urination, thirst and hunger often accompanied by a feeling of tiredness and a lack of energy. In some cases excessive blood sugar will also result in nausea and blurred vision.

It is also not uncommon for the presence of type I diabetes to be detected as the result of an emergency condition called ketoacidosis with the diagnosis being made in a hospital emergency room. Ketoacidosis occurs when blood sugar levels reach a particularly high level and the body starts to break down fat in order to get the energy that it requires. This, in turn, leads to a buildup of chemicals known as ketones in the blood and produces nausea, vomiting and stomach pains. As the emergency continues to progress breathing becomes increasingly rapid and, without immediate treatment, can result in coma and death.

The principal treatment for type I diabetes, which in most cases is a chronic condition, is the regular administration of insulin. As diabetes is however essentially a metabolic disease both diet and exercise also play an important role in keeping patients fit and healthy.