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What is an autoimmune disease?
Naturally, the body has a cellular line of active defence cells, which protect us from dangerous bacteria and viruses within the contaminated outside world. Under normal circumstances, these defence cells leave the body's normal 'self' cells alone.
However, an autoimmune disease occurs when these defence cells start attacking the body's normal 'self' cells. As a result, our cells are attacked and destroyed [1]. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body's natural defence cells attack specific cells within the pancreas that produce insulin [2].
As these cells deteriorate in number, as they are slowly destroyed by the body's own defence cells, the concentration and amount of insulin produced drops [2].
What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that promotes glucose uptake into the body's cells. Insulin helps glucose move from the blood into the tissues [3]. Without insulin, glucose remains in the blood in high concentrations, which is extremely dangerous and leads to several health concerns.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that targets the pancreas insulin-producing cells. As such, Type 1 Diabetes results in chronically elevated blood glucose levels within the bloodstream [4, 5].
What causes Type 1 Diabetes?
While the exact cause of Type 1 Diabetes remains unclear, scientists suggest that the autoimmune disease may be triggered by genes (genetic inheritance or susceptibility) or environmental factors, such as viral infections [6, 7].
Nevertheless, organisations such as TrialNet are working on pinpointing the cause of Type 1 Diabetes.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes:
Unexpected weight loss
Lack of energy and difficulty concentrating
Frequent infections and slow wound healing
Numbness (tingling) in the hands and feet
Frequently thirsty
Blurriness or deteriorating vision
Excessive hunger
Easily irritated and moody
Fatigue [5, 8]
Type 1 diabetes is generally asymptomatic. Therefore, regular screening for this condition is recommended for those who consider themselves within the ‘at risk’ group.
Consequences of Type 1 Diabetes:
Cardiovascular disease
Eye damage
Nerve damage
Kidney disease
Impaired wound healing (especially on the feet) [9]
Management of Type 1 Diabetes
Controlling the blood sugar levels is vital for managing Type 1 Diabetes. Regularly checking your blood glucose levels is imperative if you want to stay within safe blood glucose levels. Thus, balancing the amount of insulin administered is essential for maintaining Type 1 Diabetes [10].
Thus, management of Type 1 Diabetes can include:
Insulin (primarily)
Exercise [11]
Low glycemic index food [12]
Stop smoking [9, 10, 13]
Let's keep an eye out for these signs, regular health checks are essential
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If you would like to read more about Type 2 Diabetes, continue reading below...
References:
[1] Marrack P, Kappler J, Kotzin BL. Autoimmune disease: why and where it occurs. Nature Medicine. 2001;7(8):899-905.
[2] Kahaly GJ, Hansen MP. Type 1 diabetes associated autoimmunity. Autoimmunity Reviews. 2016;15(7):644-8.
[3] Wilcox G. Insulin and insulin resistance. Clin Biochem Rev. 2005;26(2):19-39.
[4] Madsbad S. Prevalence of residual B cell function and its metabolic consequences in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Diabetologia. 1983;24(3).
[5] Daneman D. Type 1 diabetes. The Lancet. 2006;367(9513):847-58.
[6] Wang Z, Xie Z, Lu Q, Chang C, Zhou Z. Beyond Genetics: What Causes Type 1 Diabetes. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology. 2017;52(2):273-86.
[7] Atkinson MA. The Pathogenesis and Natural History of Type 1 Diabetes. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2012;2(11):a007641-a.
[8] Roche EF, Menon A, Gill D, Hoey H. Clinical presentation of type 1 diabetes. Pediatric Diabetes. 2005;6(2):75-8.
[9] Fornasini S, Miele F, Piras EM. The Consequences of Type 1 Diabetes Onset On Family Life. An Integrative Review. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2020;29(5):1467-83.
[10] Beck RW, Bergenstal RM, Laffel LM, Pickup JC. Advances in technology for management of type 1 diabetes. The Lancet. 2019;394(10205):1265-73.
[11] Colberg SR, Sigal RJ, Yardley JE, Riddell MC, Dunstan DW, Dempsey PC, et al. Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes: A Position Statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(11):2065-79.
[12] Evert AB, Boucher JL, Cypress M, Dunbar SA, Franz MJ, Mayer-Davis EJ, et al. Nutrition Therapy Recommendations for the Management of Adults With Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2014;37(Supplement_1):S120-S43.
[13] Centers for Disease C, Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease P, Health P, Office on S, Health. Publications and Reports of the Surgeon General. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); 2010.
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