About Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting every organ system. There are two major types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune disease also known as juvenile diabetes) and Type 2 diabetes (a metabolic disorder also known as adult onset diabetes). Type 1 is caused by an autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It usually strikes in childhood, but lasts a lifetime. People with Type 1 must take insulin to live. People with Type 2 produce insulin but their bodies are unable to use it effectively. Type 2 is usually diagnosed in adulthood and does not always require insulin injections. However, increased obesity has led to a recent "epidemic" in cases of Type 2 diabetes in young adults and children under 10 years of age. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation focuses its efforts on Type 1 diabetes.

Taking insulin does not cure any type of diabetes nor prevent the possibility of its eventual and devastating effects:  kidney failure, nerve damage, amputation, heart attack, and stroke.

Despite rigorous attention to maintaining a healthy diet, exercise regimen, and always injecting the proper amount of insulin, many other factors can adversely affect a person's blood-sugar control including:  stress, hormonal changes, periods of growth, physical activity, medications, illness/infection, and fatigue.

Facts and Figures

• Diabetes kills one American every three minutes. 
• 16 million Americans have the disease; of these, 5.4 million remain undiagnosed. 
• Diabetes afflicts 120-140 million people worldwide, and the World Health Organization estimates that number will more than double by 2025. 
• A new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 40 seconds. 
• People with diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than someone without the disease. 
• Life expectancy for people with diabetes is shortened by an average of 15 years. 
• Diabetes accounts for more than $105 billion of health-care costs annually in the U.S. 
• It accounts for 25 percent of all Medicare expenditures. 
• Each year approximately 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with Type 1, more than 13,000 of whom are children. That's 35 children each and every day.

Symptoms

• Extreme thirst
• Frequent urination
• Drowsiness or lethargy
• Increased appetite
• Sudden weight loss for no reason
• Sudden vision changes
• Sugar in urine
• Fruity odor on breath
• Heavy or labored breathing