Watch an important upcoming television show on April 27 at 8 pm on WBBZ-TV Channel 5 or 67

By Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, MRCP (UK), FACE

Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults, but can develop at any age. Only 5-10 percent of people with diabetes have type 1, making it far less common than type 2 diabetes. Although we are making progress in understanding the causes of type 1 diabetes and possible ways to prevent it, we do not yet have a way to prevent people identified as having a high risk of developing type 1 diabetes from getting the disease. However, we have made tremendous advances in learning how to control it.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Having type 1 diabetes means your pancreas doesn’t make insulin or makes very little insulin, a hormone that helps blood sugar enter your body’s cells, where it can be used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can’t get into the cells and builds up in the bloodstream, which damages the body.

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?
There is no definitive cause for type 1 diabetes, but experts believe that an autoimmune reaction causes the body to attack itself by mistake, and destroy the pancreatic cells that make insulin. This process can happen over months before symptoms appear. While certain genes can predispose a person to type 1 diabetes, sometimes individuals with the genes never develop it. Experts also think exposure to a virus may trigger type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Testing.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can be severe once they appear. Untreated diabetes can be serious, and even fatal, so getting a blood test as soon as possible is important. If type 1 diabetes is suspected, your doctor will test your blood for autoantibodies that confirm your body is attacking itself, and also assess whether your body is capable of making any insulin. You may also have your urine tested for ketones which are produced when your body burns fat for energy.

Managing Diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is managed mostly by you, with support from your health team, which includes your primary care doctor, endocrinologist, podiatrist, dentist, eye doctor, registered dietitian nutritionist, diabetes educator, and pharmacist, along with your family, teachers, and others important in your life. You will also need to take insulin shots or wear an insulin pump daily to manage your blood sugar levels so that your body gets the energy it needs. Insulin cannot be taken as a pill because your stomach’s acid would destroy it before it reaches your bloodstream. You will be taught how to monitor and check your blood sugar and what your target blood sugar levels should be to prevent diabetes-related complications. Nowadays, you can get a glucose sensing device to check blood sugars continuously without having to prick your finger. The insulin pumps also interact with these sensing devices to automatically modulate your insulin requirements to keep blood glucose in range and lower the risk of low sugars.

Research studies pioneered and undergoing clinical trials at University at Buffalo, through funds supported by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), are also investigating medications that can reduce the need for insulin in individuals with type 1 diabetes. Receiving a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and managing it can be challenging, but regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, relaxation exercises, receiving nutrition advice, and talking to your doctor can make all the difference.

Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, MRCP (UK), FACE, Chief of Endocrinology, Endocrine Division, University at Buffalo. He and the other clinicians and UB are at the forefront in our community in diagnosing, managing, and treating type 1 diabetes and its complications. The division also has one of the largest insulin pump programs in the region. Learn more about managing your type 1 diabetes, available support, and more by calling 716-580-7300 or 716 961-9900. To participate in clinical trials in diabetes, please call 716-535-1850.

Watch an upcoming television show about type 1 diabetes on Wednesday, April 27 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 30 at noon on WBBZ-TV Channels 5 and 67 featuring Dr. Ajay Chaudhuri and his colleague Dr. Robert Borowski, who has type 1 diabetes. Learn more about the disease, including how Dr. Borowski manages his own type 1 diabetes.