Type 1 DM, or type 1 diabetes mellitus, is a very serious form of diabetes. People who have it must monitor and control their blood sugar levels carefully, or they may lapse into diabetic coma, seizure, or even die. Normally type 1 DM begins in childhood, which is why it used to be called juvenile diabetes, but truly it can develop at any age.
Type 1 DM is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys its own cells. In type 1 DM the cells that are attacked are pancreatic beta cells, which have the function of creating insulin. Insulin is a very important hormone. It transfers sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream and into the cells. The cells then convert the sugar into energy. The body cannot survive without insulin. Since a type 1 diabetic can no longer produce enough insulin, due to the damaged cells, they must inject medical insulin by a needle or pump.
Type 1 DM Diagnosis
There are three standard tests that are used for a type 1 DM diagnosis, according to Diabetes.About.com. They are:
Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) – In this test a blood sample is obtained from the possible diabetic after they have fasted for at least 8 hours. If the reading of blood test indicates that the blood glucose level of that person is over 126 mg/dl, the test must be given a second time on a different day for the disease to be officially diagnosed.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) – This test is similar to the FBG test in that you have to fast, but in this test a baseline reading is taken, and you are given a sugary beverage. Over the next two hours more blood samples are taken in order to show how your blood sugar levels fluctuate. In people with type 1 DM, blood sugar levels will rise sharply and stay high. Someone without disease will, in contrast, have glucose levels that rise and fall quickly because the insulin is doing its job in that person.
A1c (hemoglobin A1c) test – This test has only been used for the diagnosis for diabetes since 2010. This test is normally used in diagnosing type 2 DM and pre-diabetes, but can be used in the diagnosis of type 1 DM as well. The A1c test does not require fasting and takes much less time. If this test shows an A1c measurement of 6.5 percent or higher, diabetes is diagnosed.
Treatment of DM Type 1 and 2
The treatment of type 1 DM is quite different than that of type 2. The reason is that type 2 DM is caused by insulin resistance. In other words, in type 2 diabetes the pancreatic cells are still functioning and producing insulin. The problem is that for some reason the cells don’t respond to the insulin produced. In either form there is too much blood sugar left in the blood stream, which causes bodily harm.
Type 2 diabetics usually do not have to take insulin, although over time some people’s bodies do stop making the hormone. Type 2 diabetics normally take oral medications to regulate their blood sugar levels. In both type 1 and type 2 DM, carefully monitoring blood sugar levels, exercising regularly, taking medications correctly, and eating a well-balanced diet that is low in carbs are essential parts of treatment.
