Type 1 Diabetes Research Paper

Words: 456
Pages: 2

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterised by an elevation in serum glucose related to either insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, with gestational diabetes being a special case in which hormonal changes after cellular handling of glucose. It is a very common disease, characterised by an asymptomatic phase between the actual onset of diabetic hyperglycaemia and clinical diagnosis. This phase has been estimated to last at least 4-7 years and 30-50% cases of type-2 diabetic patients remained undiagnosed. This leads to the development of chronic complications of diabetes, which remain the chief problems in diabetic care, and which cause a lack of fitness to work, disability and premature death. The worldwide incidence of diabetes is also increasing at an alarming rate; it is estimated that the number of diabetic individuals will double to …show more content…
Prior terminology included juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Although traditionally considered a disease of children and adolescents, type-1 diabetes resulting from autoimmune cell destruction can occur at any age. In fact, in some reports, more than one-third of individuals developed type-1 diabetes after adolescence. Individuals with type-1 diabetes and their families have an increased prevalence of autoimmune thyroid diseases such as autoimmune adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease), autoimmune thyroid disease (Graves’ and Hashimoto’s disease), pernicious anaemia and vitiligo. Type-1 diabetes requires continuous exogeneous insulin replacement therapy in addition to diet and active management to control blood glucose. It accounts for 5-10% of all diabetes globally. As a result of having diabetes for a longer duration compared to type-2 diabetic patients, these patients carry the risk of more serious