Diabetes is a disease in which insulin, the hormone that controls the body's metabolism of glucose, is either absent, not produced in sufficient amounts or not functioning properly. In diabetes type 1, the body does not produce enough insulin. This condition is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Diabetes type 1 is further subdivided into type 1A and type 1B.
Function
In diabetes type 1, there is destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas, the cells in charge of producing insulin for the body. Insulin moves glucose from the blood stream to the tissues, where it is used as the primary energy source for cellular processes.
Effects
One of the differences between diabetes type 1A and type 1B is in the mechanism involved in the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. In type 1A, an autoimmune process destroys the beta cells. This means that the body's defenses mistake the beta cells as foreign to the body, destroying them. The mechanism for cell destruction in type 1B is unknown, but is thought to involve certain genetic markers.
Considerations
Another difference between the types is the need for insulin. Patients with diabetes type 1A have an absolute insulin deficiency, meaning that they need pharmacological insulin all the time, for the rest of their lives. Patients with type 1B have varying degrees of need for insulin, and their need for insulin injections comes and goes.
Identification
The diagnosis of both types is also different. There are specific blood markers that define diabetes type 1A. These include autoantibodies against islet cells (the cells that make insulin). These are the proteins the body uses to destroy these cells, and their presence in the bloodstream established the diagnosis of type 1A. There are no tests for type 1B diabetes, but there are genetic markers that can suggest a predisposition to diabetes.
Prevention/Solution
Even though the need for insulin may change over time, the treatment for both illnesses is the same: pharmacological insulin injections while monitoring glucose levels multiple times a day. Insulin is not a cure; rather it is a way to try to ameliorate the devastating complication of poorly controlled diabetes.
