TYPE 1
What is type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes but diagnosed as frequently in adults as it is in children, is a chronic autoimmune condition that makes the body unable to produce insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Without insulin, our bodies cannot use the sugar in our bloodstream as energy, causing people to experience diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?
There are many signs or symptoms that can be present when someone has undiagnosed or untreated diabetes. Here are the symptoms:
Excessive thirst
Frequent urination
Unexplained weight loss
Exhaustion
Please ask your healthcare provider for a blood sugar or urine test right away.
Untreated type 1 diabetes can be life-threatening. Seek emergency medical care if you are experiencing:
Fruity-smelling breath
Nausea
Stomach pain
Rapid breathing
Confusion
Drowsiness
Learn about the warning signs of T1D.
How does type 1 diabetes affect the body?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, which means that the body’s immune system attacks itself, much like celiac disease. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the body attacks the insulin-producing beta cells. These are the cells in the body that produce insulin. Over time, people with type 1 diabetes are left with none of these beta cells, also known as islet cells, and therefore cannot produce their insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows the body to use the glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream as energy—it acts as a key that unlocks the body’s cells, allowing glucose to enter and be absorbed. Converting blood glucose is the body’s main way of getting energy, so without insulin, it has to resort to breaking down bodily tissue such as muscle and fat stores. Another, potentially fatal, consequence for people with type 1 diabetes who aren’t on insulin therapy is diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. DKA occurs when there is an overload of glucose in the bloodstream because there is no regulating insulin. For more information on DKA click here.
What causes type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is neither preventable nor curable and while its cause is unknown, studies suggest that T1D results from a genetic predisposition, typically combined with an environmental trigger.
How do you manage type 1 diabetes?
Living with T1D is a full-time balancing act requiring constant attention to avoid acute, life-threatening hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or the long-term damage done by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Blood sugar levels must be monitored either with finger pricks or a continuous glucose monitor. Insulin doses must then be carefully calculated based upon activity and stress levels, food intake, illness and additional factors. These calculations are rarely perfect resulting in a tremendous emotional and mental burden for both patients and caregivers.
There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an incurable, autoimmune disease, not a lifestyle disease. Roughly 8.7 million people live with T1D around the world. People with type 1 are insulin-dependent for life.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disease influenced by genetic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Over 525 million people live with T2D around the world. It occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin, also known as insulin resistance, and can often be treated through diet, exercise and medication.
Diabetes is expensive
Americans with diabetes have medical expenses approximately 2.6 times higher than those who do not have diabetes.
Total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. in 2022 was $412.9 billion, including $306.6 billion in direct medical costs and $106.3 billion in reduced productivity attributable to diabetes.
In 2017 it was estimated that
Total direct medical expenses for diagnosed diabetes in Maryland was $4.9 billion
Total indirect costs from lost productivity due to diabetes was $2.1 billion
Total cost of diabetes was $7 billion.
The Burden of Diabetes in Maryland Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 37 million Americans have diabetes and face its devastating consequences. What’s true nationwide is also true in Maryland.
Maryland’s diabetes epidemic
Approximately 481,290 people in Maryland, or 10% of the adult population, have been diagnosed diabetes.
An additional 139,000 people in Maryland have diabetes but don’t know it, greatly increasing their health risk.
There are 1,600,000 people in Maryland, 33.7% of the adult population, who have prediabetes with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
Every year an estimated 36,371 people in Maryland are diagnosed with diabetes
