Insulin Dependent Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus, or insulin dependent diabetes, accounts for about 5 to 10 per cent of all diabetes cases. The failure of the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin is found to be the cause of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Low or undetectable level of plasma C-peptide is usually an indication of this condition. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is also known as juvenile diabetes because of its onset early in life. While it takes place primarily in healthy, non-obese children or young adults, it may also affect individuals at any age.

The theory that autoimmune beta cell destruction is a factor affecting insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is supported by the detection of beta cell antibodies in the blood of pre-diabetics and newly diagnosed diabetics. In addition, it has also been found that immunosuppressant therapy helps to preserve the function of beta cell in diabetic patients who have been recently diagnosed.

Environmental factors such as nutritional factors, enterovirus (a tiny virus consisting of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, plus a protein, which may be ingested through food or other media, and, after a brief stay in the gastrointestinal tract, attacks the nervous system) and interactions between enterovirus and nutritional factors, are thought to be the cause of autoimmune destruction of beta cells. This only indicates that Type 1 diabetes mellitus has a genetic component.

Symptoms of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus are related to the marked hyperglycaemia. These include polyuria (because of the osmotic effect of glucose), polydipsia (to make up for the loss of water in polyuria), polyphagia (to compensate for energy deficiency arising from glucose lost in urine), fatigue and weight loss (due to dehydration and glucose loss in urine), and blurred vision (due to variable osmotic pressures on the lens).

How is Type 1 Diabetes Treated?

Although no cure is available for insulin dependent diabetes mellitus yet, it may be helpful to tightly control the blood glucose level by insulin injections (known as exogenous insulin therapy) and by following an exercise regimen in a physically active lifestyle. A Type 1 diabetes patient may also be recommended by a health care professional to undergo medical nutrition treatment. This treatment modifies intake of food to prevent diabetes-related complications, whether acute or chronic, while at the same time attaining an optimal quality of life.

Here is a typical Type 1 diabetes care regime you can follow:

The goal of insulin treatment is to control the amount of insulin in the bloodstream so glucose levels are normal, or near normal. Treatment for diabetes depends on the individual. It starts the first time you give yourself an insulin injection, and continues through starting an exercise programme and eating the right types and amounts of food.

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Information On How You Can Manage & Control Diabetes