Also called juvenile and insulin-dependent diabetes, it differs from type 2 diabetes because it usually occurs at a young age. Here are the things to know
In Italy people with type 1 diabetes there are about 300,000 and the incidence of this disease is increasing worldwide, especially in Western countries. Also called juvenile and insulin-dependent diabetes, it differs from type 2 diabetes because it usually occurs at a young age: usually develops during the teenage years, but can also appear in very young children (even newborns) or young adults and lasts a lifetime. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic autoimmune disease which causes the cells of the pancreas – the so-called beta-cells – which produce insulin to be destroyed by the immune system, because they are recognized as foreign. Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels and allows it to enter cells to be used as an energy source. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10% of diabetes cases and is an incurable disease.
symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
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Compared with type 2 diabetes, that of type 1 occurs more severely and rapidly. The main sign of the disease is excess glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) and the symptoms depend on how high the blood sugar is. The most common symptoms include the weight loss despite hyperphagia (increased appetite), tiredness, increased thirst, increased urine output and abdominal pain. In severe cases, mental confusion and loss of consciousness can occur. The only way to have a certain diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is a blood test, which must detect a fasting blood glucose value >126 mg/dl on two different days. The only therapy available to treat type 1 diabetes is insulin by means of subcutaneous injections.
prevention of type 1 diabetes
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Type 1 diabetes can hardly be prevented: to date the cause of this pathology is unknown. What we do know is that at the base there is a real sabotage by the immune system against the cells that produce insulin. Like many autoimmune diseases, i.e. characterized by a reaction of the immune system against the organism itself, so far only hypotheses have been made about the causes. In the case of type 1 diabetes, it is believed that there may be hereditary factors and/or environmental factors, including diet, lifestyle, contact with specific viruses.
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