Diabetes mellitus, more commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of chronic diseases in which blood glucose levels rise to abnormal levels due to defects in insulin function and production. Diabetes can be further broken down into different classifications. Type 1 diabetes occurs in 5 to 10 percent of individuals diagnosed. There is still much speculation as to the cause of type 1 diabetes.
History
Type 1 diabetes was at one time referred to as juvenile onset diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. The labels were considered confusing because they referred to the common age of onset or to the required mode of treatment instead of the pathophysiology of the disease. Each type of diabetes is a different disease. In 1997, an international expert committee adopted the new terms. Type 1 diabetes is defined as an absolute deficiency of insulin.
Pathophysiology
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Antibodies are produced by the immune system to attack bacteria and viruses that invade the body. An autoimmune disease mistakenly attacks healthy cells. Type 1 diabetes results when the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin are destroyed. Individuals will require insulin from an external source to live. An autoimmune disease can occur at any age. Type 1 diabetes can present in infancy or adulthood.
Facts
Genetics plays a role in the development of type 1 diabetes. DNA markers from both parents are present as well as auto-antibodies, which are the antibodies that attack the healthy cells of the pancreas. However, carrying the gene for diabetes does not equate to the development of the disease. An event must occur to trigger the gene that ultimately leads to the destruction of the cells that produce insulin.
Triggers
Cold weather can trigger type 1 diabetes. The incidence of type 1 diabetes increases during winter or in areas with colder temperatures. Viruses can also trigger type 1 diabetes. Events such as a heart attack or stroke are often the trigger in adults who develop type 1 diabetes. These events trigger auto-antibodies, which in turn attack the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.
Other Factors
There is a less common form of type 1 diabetes that is not caused by an autoimmune response. It presents most commonly in Africans and Asians and is strongly inherited. This form of type 1 diabetes has episodes of insulin deficiency, and the need for insulin replacement therapy may come and go.
Solutions
Research and new technologies have helped to restore life in both quality and quantity. Islet transplantation from a healthy pancreas restores insulin-producing cells and stops the need for daily injections. An artificial pancreas provides continued insulin delivery and continues glucose monitoring, which is a perceived return to life as normal. The mission of all research groups is to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.
