Diabetes – Type 1

Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Type 1 of autoimmune disease, which leads to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Lack of insulin causes an increase in levels of fasting blood glucose. Glycosuria or glucose in the urine, causing patients to urinate more often and drink more than normal (polydipsia). Classically, they have the characteristic symptoms that prompted discovery of the disease.

Type 1 is lethal unless treated with exogenous insulin. Injection is a traditional and still most common method for administering insulin, jet injection, indwelling catheters and inhaled insulin was available at different times, and there are several experimental methods as well. All replace the missing hormone originally created now non-functional beta cells in the pancreas. In recent years, pancreas transplants have also been used to treat diabetes type 1.

There is currently no clinically appropriate preventive measures against the development of diabetes, type 1 , although a vaccine and anti-antibody approaches are being examined. Most people who develop type 1 are otherwise healthy and have a healthy weight at the onset, but may lose weight quickly and dangerously, if not quickly diagnosed. Although the cause of diabetes, type 1 is not yet fully understood, damage to the immune system is typical.

The most definite laboratory test to distinguish type 1 from type 2 diabetes is the C-peptide test. Testing for GAD 65 antibodies has been proposed as a better test for differentiating between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, it appears that the immune system disorder is associated with their presence.

Treatment
Type 1 is treated with insulin replacement therapy – usually injections of insulin or via an insulin pump, along with emphasis on dietary management of usually carbohydrates, including monitoring and careful monitoring of blood glucose levels using glucose meters.

In extreme cases, a pancreas transplant can restore proper glucose regulation. However, surgery and the accompanying immunosuppression required, in the opinion of many doctors, is more dangerous than continued insulin replacement therapy, and therefore is often used only as a last resort.

Cure
There is no known cure for type 1 diabetes mellitus in advanced clinical use. Pancreas transplant is not practical (too few, are available, and pancreas transplantation is technically difficult. The requirement of immuno-suppressive drugs contributes to the unsatisfactory nature of pancreas transplantation as a cure). There is ongoing research on different approaches to curing diabetes.

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